Left delivers open challenge to Khomeini’s vision

          
          5/27/2011
          Article - Untitled Article
          Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Feb 24, 1979; Section: None; Page: 4
          Left delivers open
          challenge to
          Khomeini's Vision
          Yrntn ti Thtargood in Tehra n
          iran 's militant Left yester-
          dar—i ued a strong challenge
          to the Ayatollah Khomeini. and
          his hand - picked Prima Minis-
          ter. dc-ma cding that the revolu-
          lion he speeded up and .ie
          country radically transformed
          into a syorkers' state.
          The challenge, delivered at a
          rally organised by the Mancist
          guerrillas of the Fedaycen - c -
          Ehalq, was read to a largely
          middle class audience who.
          despite a steady drizzle and a
          blistering denunciation from
          the- Ayatollah. had turned tip
          for what many fcar might
          prove to be the start or a bead
          - on confrontation between the
          Left and the i%Iosque.
          The rally. a uended by some
          VO.000 people at Tebran lJni-
          ‘venally, was a substitute c r a
          marc h planned for Thursday
          am'oss town to the Khomeini
          headquarters in East Tehran.
          The Fedayeen had hoped 1
          present their demand Ira a priv-
          ate audience st-lilt the Ayatol-
          lah, but on the eve of the
          IRAN'S new Government has
          witzerland It has
          national ised alt the property
          i i ! the exiled Shalt and his
          family, and asked that all
          tlte r assets there be frozen.
          the Foreign Ministry said
          yesterday. l i Is believed steps
          wilt be t tt er by Ira n L u re-
          patriate the asscts
          march the Ayalol lala branded
          the Fedayeea as “non - Mos-
          lrms'a't ‘war wiih Islrnn” and
          cirden'd ‘ his followers to
          “nflore deueptive slogans of
          liberation and brotherhood.”
          lie-added: “1 will not permit
          ihese. opportunists to cohic to
          tray house -”
          The l”edayeen. In addition to
          cnlling for a general speeding
          lip or the revolution, also
          issued a nine - point declara-
          tion, de manding Ihe return of
          all land to the farmer-s with
          free electricity and water anot
          interest - free loans, an end to
          censorship and the replacement
          of the Shah's armed forces
          with a pecple's army ‘ respon-
          sible to the revolution.”
          cream” decision - tanking
          body of his regime.
          Others openly attacked his
          secret Islamic courts, which
          have already sent eight
          generals to their death, and de-
          manded the creation of
          “open” people's courts. (As
          the Fedayeen rally was taking
          place. reports reached the capi-
          tal that Captain Monir Talseri
          had been executed in the i ' ll-
          lage of Rud - Sar, near Ihe
          Caspian Sea, where an Islamic
          court had found hint guilty of
          master - minding the cin:ma
          blaze that killed - some 400
          people in the southern city of
          Abadan last summer).
          Just what these peop]e's
          c ells represent is far front
          clan. but the F'edayeen again
          repeated its tall for all classes
          and sections who took part Ira
          il-me- revolution to have a s in
          running the country's affairs,
          “Such particlpation, ' the
          declaration continues, “IS not
          possible without thp selling up
          of workers' cells jn factories 1
          ban'acks and offices.”
          Several such cells have
          already been set up in Govern-
          ment Ministries and the
          Fedayeen claim that others
          have taken over the manage-
          rament in sonic factories, ‘rhe
          l”edayeen is ai)PareiltlY not
          pushing for a seat on Mr
          Mehdi Razargan's Cabinet and
          as far as it is known lIme Prime
          Minister, who is coming under
          increasing criticism for his i'e-
          formist policies, has not
          approached the radical Left.
          Except for a small scuffle.
          outside 1 he main university
          gates. fears of a clash betweEn
          the Left and Khomeini's fol-
          lowers did not matcrialise.
          Meanwhile, in the troubled,
          province of Kurdestan. the
          armed forces hnvc warnod the
          pcople against attacking mili-
          tary bases and boldins anti-
          Government demonstrations. In
          an official cornnuznique issuçcl
          yesterday, the army called era
          the Kurrts to iznore “counter-
          rcvokU , 4 ary pamphlets asking
          the people to march on local
          barracks” because “the troops
          have orders to fire.”
          archive.guardian.co.uk/.../getFiles.asp?...
          1/2
        

          
          5/27/2011
          Article - Untitled Article
          Tile Fedayeen have verbally
          supporte d the Ayatollah as a
          nan who conmands the peo-
          pie 's respect and as a fighter
          of imperialism , but for the
          first time since his triumphant
          return three weeks ago. Kho-
          mc mi's role as the country's
          strongmaii was openly criti-
          ci sed, Messages challenged bin
          In reveal the names of his re-
          volut lGnary islamic Council.
          the Inner circle of seven men
          that was emerged as the
          ‘ [ his latest varnini follows
          official denials of any separa-
          tist movement in the province
          adjoining the border with Iraq.
          LAbdul -Rabman Qa a e m ion,
          leader of the Kurdestan Demo-
          cratic Party, earlier this week
          declared his full support for
          Ayatollah J'Chomeini, saying:
          “our demands are such that
          no revolutionary Government
          can reject them.”
          In Rabat, King llassstn of
          Morocco has informed the
          Shah ho can stay in exile in
          Morocco but only as a private
          citizen.
          archive.guardian.co.uk/.../getFiles.asp?...
          2/2