According to Choubine, (1955), the Bahai’s community had a presence in Yazd and its surrounding towns from Baha Ullah's time. In the year 1903, the Iran’s community of Baha’i went through about a half-century of significant peace (Choubine, 1955). Such pattern however changed around 1903 a time when pogrom was let loose targeting the communities in Yazd together with its surroundings leading to the murder of hundred of the defenseless Baha’is. Research has established that his action was considered as the first notable collusion of the state and local authorities with the establishment of the ecclesiastical with the aim of bringing about complete eradication of the Baha’i community. The essay will describe the relation between Musaddiq and the Baha'is in the 20th century.
According to Choubine, (1955), after such an incidence, the majority of the Baha’is shifted to various regions particularly in the newly founded town of Ishqabad in Turkmenistan—but a few had returned to their homes to rebuild their lives and businesses. The community managed to gain strength and hence reestablished their activities but under the watchful eye of the fanatical Shi‘i clergy. Years later around January 3, 1950, a Muslim woman, Sughra together with her five children were brutally killed in Abarqu (Choubine, 1955). The activities that followed had profound implications for the Baha’is in the entire country to the extent that it involved Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq’s administration.
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After voting, Musaddiq became prime minister and was highly committed to establishing democracy in addition to the constitutional monarchy and the nationalizing of the Iranian petroleum industry. He hoped that the Americans would be supporting his nationalization plan. However, the Americans strongly supported the British. According to Choubine, (1955), around the year 1951, Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq who was then the leader of Iran’s National Front came to the premiership and were nominated by Jamal Imami and had the support of the majority of representatives. The two chambers of the parliament later and adopted a resolution which was the foundation for the petroleum industry nationalization in the country. Dr. Musaddiq was thus the champion of the National Front which gave him no restful moment where he was dealing with connivances by internal and external enemies.
Around 1951, he led the government officials’ delegation on a precise mission to defend the Iranian rights before the Security Council of the United Nations. According to Choubine, (1955), in the year 1951, Dr. Musaddiq delivered an enthusiastic speech to the Security Council of the United Nations defending the decision to nationalize Iran’s oil industry. He further pointed various cruelties planned by the British imperialist government. The following day, the representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the US met the prime minister with the permission of Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq to discuss the condition of the Baha'is accused in the Abarqu murders and the violation of the rights and denial of justice for the Baha’is of Iran. Arguably, Dr. Musaddiq together offered prudent counsel to the Baha’i representatives (Choubine, 1955).
Iran’s Prime Minister Dr. Musaddiq apparently knew that the wrongs that had been inflicted on the Baha’is predated his assumption of office and hence strongly cherished the past hopes that the tyrannies and injuries would never be repeated. He assured the Baha’is that he would help them and would go ahead to do all it would take to assist them in his state and deliver justice. As a prime minister of the Muslim nation, he was very sincere. He gave the Baha’is of American an opportunity to discuss the incidences of Iranian persecution and justice with the prime minister with international appeal and popularity. According to Choubine, (1955), Dr. Musaddiq was open to criticize and state that Baha’is was not treated with equity. Dr. Musaddiq being the leader of the National Movement of Iran was sincere that he went further to explain reasons for his recommendations. Further, he informed the representatives of Baha’is what exactly to write on the letterhead of the National Assembly, signed and sealed” so that it was “a formal representation” and could be used “for help” (Choubine, 1955). He also took a step further dictating the wording to be employed at the letter’s conclusion. The letter was not merely a request for justice for all the Mullahs cruelty; however, it was a report filled with sorrow condemning the Iran government and the society that had disregarded individual’s rights and religious and tribal minorities. Dr. Musaddiq was clearly against any form of extra-legal treatment of the Baha’is that was against the principle of the nations’ constitutional code.
The Cold War leaders in Iran, the clerical and the political establishment firmly created opposition to the government of Dr. Musaddiq. They conducted massive marches in both the bazaars and streets expressing their opposition (Choubine, 1955). The opponents were declared throughout the country that the country was falling into the camp of the Soviets and with time, the reins of power would be shifted into the hands of the Baha’is and the communists. Further, the nationalist's Movement opponents hoped to provoke Ayatu’llah Burujirdi’s sentiments which had harbored intense enmity towards the Baha’is stating that Dr. Musaddiq supported and protected not only the members of the Tudeh Party but also the Baha’is. Dr. Musaddiq believed that there was no difference between the Baha’is and the Muslims and further firmly believes in the parliamentary democracy while supporting the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights.
There emerged some form of fear that the Communist with the Soviet’s help might overthrow the government, this saw the need to remove Musaddiq. At the CIA direction in addition to the British Secret Intelligence Service, a secret operation occurred to overthrow Musaddiq using the military force to help particularly those who were believed to be loyal to the Shah (Choubine, 1955). The plots together with the coup d’état against Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq were hatched some months before the major events of the August 16th and 19th. At the same period, a royal decree that dismissed Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq was signed by Muhammad-Reza Shah on August 13, and the military plot against Dr. Musaddiq had already reached its concluding planning stages. Dr. Musaddiq countered the August 16th coup, but the coup continued and succeeded on August 19, 1953 (Choubine, 1955). The deposed Musaddiq was later on detained, subjected to show trial, then charged to solitary incarceration for about three years in a military detention center and later imprisoned through house arrest for life in his estate at Ahmadabad, where he is now buried. In his place, Prime Minister Musaddiq was replaced by General Fadlu’llah Zahidi who reversed most of the reforms brought about during the Musaddiq era.
In conclusion, it is clear that Dr. Musaddiq was firmly against any act of oppression ideas, aggression towards the unorthodox thinkers and anti-Baha’ism. However, despite the promise he gave the representatives of the American Baha’is, studies have pointed out that Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq was not able to bring about a fair trial. Additionally, he was not able to effect the liberty of many innocent Muslims and Baha’is who had fallen victim to the connivance of religious clerics and Fada’iyan Islam. In its place, Dr. Musaddiq was himself consumed with the massive political upheaval in addition to both internally and externally conceived conspiracies and plots.
References
Choubine, B.,(1955). Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq and the Baha’is . Baha’is Publishing Trust.
