In 1944 A.D., Habib Sabet developed Firouz company accompanied by Rahim Arjmand and started extensive activities with multi-national American companies. They entered foreign items extensively such as drug, cosmetics, toothpaste, surgery and wound dressing tools, X-ray sets and ambulance.
Additionally, he took over the agencies for various companies such as Fillips, Magic, Chef ovens and Kelvinator refrigerators[1].
Although Sabet didn’t have any knowledge about pharmaceutical products, he had taken over the delegacy for pharmaceutical company called”: “Squibb”.
The increasing need for drug and sanitary ware in the country caused him to build a factory in 10 thousand square meter land in Kilometer 9 of Tehran- Karaj road. It is interesting to be noted that Ayadi, the special Baha’i physician of the Shah was seeking for allowance to enter drug ad distribute in Iran at that period of time.[2]
At the same time with this measure, Firouz company signs a contact of limiting the sale and delegacy of Shring pharmaceutical company products and Rollin cosmetics of America.[3]
Habib Sabet takes over the delegacy of Studebaker automobiles of America in 1947 A.D. Then, he hands it over to Khamsi, his brother-in-law. Later on, Khamsi runs the first taxi service of Tehran.[4]
The increasing soar of entering automobile and tire by Sabet gained him and Bahaism a huge benefit.
After Mordad 28, 1332 coup, Habib Sabet established General Tire Company in 1964 A.D. in Tehran city in 30-thousand-meter land with the capacity of 20 thousand tons of tire.
Board of directors of this company in Iran included 5 Americans and four colleagues of Sabet company called Asghar Panahi, Amil Aboud, Iraj Sabet and Habib Sabet.[5]
General tire company had a powerful rival called P. F. Good ridge which was able to confiscate a great part of Iranian tire market. Since tires produced by Sabet Pasal in General company didn’t have customer, he gossiped against Good ridge company to have accidents in the then press.
This issue caused the subject to be posed in road security council in road ministry and a statement was issued in favor of Habib Sabet. Issuing this statement by a governmental foundation and backing it in press, radio and television in the direction of the American company General Tire show the deep bond among interior capitalism, Pahlavi government and universal capitalism.
The Iranian General Tire and Iran Rubber Companies’ dependence on General Tire American company caused Sabet to hand over the management of all various sectors to American citizens.
The lack of American managers’ familiarity with the daily activities of the company and misusing the management, receiving huge salaries, cursing, humiliating, quarreling with workers, being strict and misbehaving with sale delegacies, and not giving enough profit to sellers, not regulating the Iranian culture, not employing the Iranian educated forces caused tension, declining in company production activity and worker dismissals.[6]
Most workers suffered from Lumbar disc, testicular pain, and tuberculosis due to heavy works. Even, the female workers were being assaulted.[7]
Habib Sabet established a company called Iran Volks and entered ambulance for hospitals and ministry of health extensively. According to German manager of the company, Habit Sabet has had really negative figure in the then community and has not been merited for taking the delegacy of a foreign company and has just been successful to take this delegacy supported by interior and exterior members of the deviant cult f Bahaism.
Mansour Moaddel points out a note in this regard:
“The main benefited parties of the economic development during 1960s and 1970s, were the dependent international investors who were able to dominate on economy and to gain huge benefits supported by the government.[8]
Habib Sabet was supported by the government very much. The agriculture ministry helped him very much by purchasing Minneapolis agriculture machines. At the same time, Habib Sabet took the delegacy of Yanmar company of Japan and entered thousands of Yanmar tractors.[9]
Generally Speaking, this writing stresses on this note that a glance at commercial and industrial activities of Sabet shows that this development has been dependent on aliens.
Souce: Reza Qaribi, the Baha’i wealthy people and Pahlavi regime, pp. 203- 210.
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[۱] The autobiography of Sabet, pp. 213 – 215.
[۲] Fereidoun Hoveyda, the Shah’s fall, Tehran, Ettelát publishing house, 1386 S.H., p. 90.
[۳] Sabet’s autobiography/pp. 223-224.
[۴] Ibid, p. 196.
[۵] Ibid, pp. 191 – 194.
[۶] Ibid, pp. 288-289.
[۷] Pahlavi era men narrated by SAVAK documents, 29th book, Habib Sabet, p. 342.
[۸] Mansour Muaddel, class, policy and ideology in revolution, translated by Muhammad Salar Kasraee, Tehran the center for recognition of Islam and Iran, 1382, p. 81.
- [۹]The autobiography of Sabet, pp. 210 – 211.
