A historical review on terrible consequences of trusting the West

Irdc: The contemporary history reflects that since the constitution, every path towards trusting the West has lead to destruction

The Constitutional Revolution was the light in the darkness of Iran's political situation on the late Qajar era. A revolution based on discernment of the scholars, people's belief in Islam and the position of the clergies among them. But soon, this spontaneous call for justice, turned into a forced demand of onstitution and the hope faded away. The main reasons for deviation of the constitution have to be seeked in tactical and intellectual surrender to the West.

The United Kingdom, as the colonial controling the country, was seeking a way into the constitutional movement. When the protest in Tehran Jame Mosque was interfered by guns and fire, some turned to the enemy, to the embassy of UK: "Haj Bonakdar entered the embassy with big pots and other cooking supplies. People set up tents and took shelter at the embassy. They said they won't leave until they have a parliament to run justice in the society".

Eventually, some concepts were born in the literature of the revolution by the dictation of foreigners, and so the main orbit was not religious anymore. Vakil-o-dolleh has mentioned the speech of an embassy member for the people, insisting on changing the name of the Islamic Council to National Council.

When the intellectual constitutionalists took control of the country, the western culture was more and more entering daily lives and the papers insulted the sacred things and holly beings. The scholars, including Sheikh Fazlollah, who was among the pioneers of the revolution, stood up against it and asked for a religous constitution. This demand cost his life. When the scholars were eliminated, the intellectual occidentals lead the path to the absolute failure and Reza Khan's dictatorship.

When he gained power, he began destroying the material and spiritual heritage of the country in the name of industrialization. He believed Iranian and Islamic culture were on his way towards modernization, and to reinforce his government, he chose to spread every detail of western culture in Iran. Uniforms, unveiling, oppressing the tribes, banning religous mourning ceremonies, building railways with a high cost to transfer British troops from the South to the North, all were his efforts to stay in power, with reliance to the West.

Iran, was trapped between the colonial treaties of UK and the Soviet Union. They were competing on that and Reza Shah could have used this rivalry for Iran's good, trying to lessen the economic dependence of the country, but instead he used the "third country" tactic and brought Germany to the slaughterhouse, his home. Iran became so much dependant to the goods imported from Germany, and when Soviet Union and UK united and stopped the German goods at the border, Iran's economy was damaged a lot.

The relationship between Iran and Germany had its ups and down during Reza Shah era, all controlled by the UK and Soviet Union. After the failure of Germany in the World War, Iran made a list of Germans and banned them from entering the country by order of UK.

Germany gained multiple victories in the World War ||, and Reza Shah, hoping that the Allies would be defeated. But the page was turned and Germany was defeated again. Although Iran had declaired its neutrality, The Soviet Union and UK occupied the country from the North and the South, and throw Reza Shah away, as he was a spent force.

Mosaddeq was dependant to UK, US and anyone associated with them. Sanjabi, the minister of Mosaddeq Administration has written: "In his first administratio, he kept telling us that we have to use them for our progress. He entered some of them in his cabinet, eventhough they didn't have a good reputation, or were supects or guilty of having relations with the foreigners".

Iran's oil ban brought Mosaddeq to US as a new support. He had traveled to New York to defend against the UK complaint at the Security Council. It is full of hostoric lessons, how the American authorities made fun of and humiliated him. After lunch, Mosaddeq told Truman: "We have 300-400 million Tomans budget deficit". Truman, said negligently: "Acheson will talk to you". He also had written a letter to him, asking for help in exchange for 50% discount for Iran's oil, and was ignored again. Dad newspaper called this letter "disgraceful".

The dark comedy, is the fact that the coup which overthrew him was staged by this very country.

Despite the religous movements always believed in fighting against the colonialism, Mehdi Bazargan seeked every thing in keeping US on board or putting pressure on them to get to his goals. "[In a meeting with Imam] , I believed that the only way to get rid of Shah was putting the pressure on US to eventually let him down".

Freedom Movement, which according to US embassy documents were negotiating with the embassy in order to replace themselves as a moderate government with the Islamic revolutionaries, by US help. They were extremely emphasizing on US help, which made the Americans wonder. Stample has written: "Transfering the power from Shah to the new administration with US help, was a dream that the freedom movememt kept to the day of the victory of Islamic revolution. This showed the exagerated idea of US being able to do anything".

Bazargan criticized the fact that Imam would not accept the power of Shah and US in the political affairs: "He talks like he has not noticed them. I told him that US, good or bad, is real. He didn't value US and he would not accept our methods".

Before the victory of Islamic revolution, this movement formed an organization called "Human Rights Society" and asks for US support against the injustice of Shah. They sent a letter to Carter, starting with "Your highness, president Carter" and asked him for freedom in Iran.

But things did not go well for them. Their standards didn't work and their policies failed. Bazargan admitted that 25 years of relations with US embassy didn't help them achive their goals.

This could be the historical point when they could have learned a lesson: not to trust the West. But after the victory of Islamic revolution, they followed their old path. When Iranians were full of anger against US, because of multiple crimes and sheltering Shah, Bazargan met Brzezinski without Imam's permission. This lead to rise of the students and US embassy takeover. In the embassy documents, the relationship between CIA and the Freedom Movement was revealed. The day after takeover, Bazargan resigned. In 1987, Imam answered the letter of the ministry of interior about this movement: "Their background and their performance in the Interim Government of Iran testifies that the movement of freedom, is seeking nothing but dependancy to US, and have made every effort to achieve it. If it was not the mercy of God, they would have stayed in charge and our beloved nation were now suffering from the crimes of America, and our Beloved Islam would be slapped by the oppressers hard enough not to be able to rise in centuries".