|
The miracle of Imam Khomeini’s “Nothing”
 |
When asked by a foreign reporter how he felt in his return flight home, Imam Khomeini said, “Nothing”.
In the meantime, Shapour Bakhtiar spread the question and answer widely on the national TV in a bid to discourage civilians’ support for imam’s cause; it backfired, however, and accelerated the spread of the revolution.
On February 10, 1979, Homafaran (air force cadets) reacted emotionally to the recorded video of the interview broadcast on the national TV with loud Salavats (praise to the Prophet and his house) and ignited an armed struggle in Dushan Tape military base.
Tehran had already turned into a hub for revolutionaries from across the country who had come to welcome Imam Khomeini back to Iran. Caused by the regime, the armed conflict in Dushan Tape was the beginning of massive uproar in Iran. In short notice, people from all parts of Tehran poured into Dushan Tape base and took over its arsenals. Homafaran reached out for weapons to fight imperial guards. The upheaval exacerbated on the following day, people fanned out in streets and trenches were dug in the city for close-quarter combat with Shah’s guardians; the revolutionaries then conquered police stations and rapidly targeted major military bases that led to a declaration by the army on February 12 stating its neutrality in the armed struggles which secured the downfall of the Pahlavi regime. Indeed, what happened in Dushan Tape base speeded up the revolution.
No one was responsible for all these happenings more than Shapour Bakhtiar.
“At about 1 a.m., Saturday February 11, 1979, the chief army headquarters reported: a firefight broke out between air force cadets in Dushan Tape training base and the imperial guards, after the former reacted emotionally to a footage of Mr. Khomeini’s interview on TV,” read a part of the memoir by Abbas Gharehbaghi, the last chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, about the incident.
An hour later, Shapour Bakhtiar gave Gharebaghi a call to talk about the developments. “Why was the dialogue with Ayatollah Khomeini broadcast several times last night?” asked Gharebaghi from Bakhtiar.
“I ordered it, and I meant to make people see how their leader answered a reporter in the airplane after 15 years out of the country when the reporter asked him how he felt and he said ‘nothing’.”
“The incident was caused by the video anyway,” replied Gharehbaghi.
After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, it was made clear that the question and answer were not completely broadcast by the TV. Commenting on the interview, Habibollah Asgaroladi once said, “The reporter asked Imam Khomeini: “You are returning to Iran as the most powerful man, please tell us how you feel?” and Imam has said, “Nothing.” The reporter thought Imam had misunderstood the question or the translation was bad and asked again. “You are entering Iran as the most powerful man in history. How do you feel about your entrance?” After the translation, Imam Khomeini said, “Nothing.” And quietly said, “Except for reinforcing virtue and toppling vice.”
Mirza Bagher Alian Nejad
Abbas Hajihashemi
|
