Gholam-Reza Azeri Khakestar
Translated by: Natali Haghverdian
Image of first women’s demonstration on January 7
January 7, 1978 is a new chapter in the history of the Islamic Revolution in Mashhad city; since it was the day that a group of women orchestrated a demonstration against Pahlavi regime in Mashhad.
Women’s participation in political society was an objection to Pahlavi regime and demanding freedom of women in prison. However, due to security issues and strong control on media it wasn’t well reflected in the media but presence of women in this demonstration was a turning point for the fight of people in Mashhad.
Following the effective operation of the Islamic Studies School and support of women’s religious school, women in Mashhad took action by holding Quran and placards in their hands in a demonstration. Government officers attacked women and beat them and arrested seventeen of them and took to precinct five in Mashhad.
Ayatollah Sheikh Abol-Hhassan Shirazi orchestrated the first demonstration of women against monarchy regime. In addition to the documents published regarding the first demonstration of women, memories of the witnesses shall be a turning point for research. Ms. Sedigheh Moghadassi (daughter of Ayatollah Shirazi) was one of those who were arrested that day. She doesn’t talk about the reasons of the demonstration and the effect of this attempt in Mashhad and just refers to her arrest.
“The weather was cold, it was snowing. Ms. Oskouyi and I used to pick up flags early morning and would stand in front of Chahar-Bagh Alley. Women passing by would realize that it’s a demonstration. On January 17, 1978, women from school of Islamic Studies in Mashhad decided to organize a demonstration as an objection to the anniversary of unveiling who would bring flowers to the statue of Reza Shah. Some women were supposed to start from Ab Square. I went there and saw a group of women sitting there with back veils with no flags. I approached them and we started once there were fifteen of us. Gradually we opened the flag which read: we, women of Iran, perceive today to be ominous. We were around two to three hundred that day. Close to the bazaar we realized military vehicles are approaching us. The women gathered in Shah Square with flowers were informed that veiled women are coming with bats and they had got scared. They had asked men to leave the flowers in the square and they didn’t leave the bus. Close to Khossravi intersection we saw the military forces. We were moving forward. They arrested some of us but they would call us to resist. One of them was Ms. Moghadassi, daughter of Mr. Shirazi. Since some women were shouting down with the king, the military forces started beating the demonstrators and tore apart the flags. I entered Sarshour Bazaar. As I was running my shoe came off; I wanted to go back but I couldn’t since some of those in the market were against such attempts. They would say: it is not the business of women to be in the street yelling. I got home and Ms. Taha asked what happened and I told her. Then there was the news on the phone that the daughter of Mr. Shirazi was arrested. A group of women got together and we went to Mr. Shirazi’s house for strike. Men also joined along with Mr. Shirazi, Tehrani and Falsafi. Mr. Shirazi was objecting in a loud voice: they have taken my daughter to SAVAK. What are you doing sitting here? It was dawn that rice was cooked and people were fed. It was the Morning Prayer that women were released and strike was over. Ms. Moghadassi was not tortured, but the girl who was yelling the slogan was beaten badly. They were not insulted and the women had said that they will fight for veiling. As Fatemeh Etemadi said, the demonstration of women in Mashhad encouraged men. Based on the stories they said: since men are scared let’s line up women to encourage them.
Ramezan-Ali Shakeri describes the event as: January 17, 1978 was the day that 120 Islamic women of Mashhad, majority of whom were students, entered the streets of the city as an opposition to the annual ceremony of unveiling in Shohada mosque and the demonstration started from Bazargan street (former Khossravi) and Azadi (former Shah-Reza) and Shohada (former Naderi) towards Shohada square. There were no saying anything but had a white cloth on which was written: we, women of Khorassan, demand our sisters to be released from prison”. Close to Shah square, police attacked the demonstrators. Based on the police report, in Noe alley a group of demonstrating women was chased and over seventeen women were arrested and the rest scattered. As I’ve heard the arrested women were taken to fifth precinct and were interrogated and tortured. During next weeks, due to efforts of the religious clergies, those arrested were freed. Based on the critics, this up rise by Islamic women in Mashhad was the first strike in Mashhad against autarchy and a warning to the Muslim people of Iran.
It seems that due to strong security monitoring of the media, this movement was not properly reflected in media. Aftab-e Shargh (Eastern Sun) daily reported the incident three days later as follows:
At ten hundreds in the morning of January 17, 1978 when the ceremony was held in Shah square, almost one hundred veiled women along with three men, while marching from Naderi Street towards Shah square, yelled slogans and carried cloths with messages. The police intervened immediately and arrested some women and three men. Such demonstration against the society contradicts national and public development and is unfortunate; since societies today can’t ignore women’s social activities and eventually ignoring half of their forces.
Khorassan daily reported the incident six days later as follows:
“Members of Khorassan Women’s Organization, gathered in the hall of this organization, and condemned the demonstration of some incognito women on January 17, 1978 in Mashhad against Iranian Women’s Freedom Movement. In this gathering, first the secretary of Khorassan Women’s Organization rendered her speech and referred to the demonstration which was held at the same time of the celebration in Shah square in Mashhad in Naderi street and said: we, women of Iran who constitute fifty percent of the active forces of the country have benefited the social revolution in Iran more than other social classes and hence it is our duty to safeguard this blessing and neutralize propaganda against it.”
Persian Source:
http://oral-history.ir/show.php?page=article&id=649
