SAVAK [1] was in was charge of saving security of the country and preventing the conflicts between the Baha’is and the Iranian people. The advertisements of the Baha’is were creating tension and SAVAK was sensitive with it. During those years, SAVAK announced that the Baha’is must not openly proselytize in order for tension not to be created.
Proselytizing was being introduced as the most important pillar of Bahaism ideology and the most central duty of Baha’is. Consequently, they were trying hard to proselytize. Basically, the most important measure of SAVAK to manage Bahaism was to supervise their proselytizing.
According to circular letters it is announced to all SAVAK offices to prevent each kind of proselytizing activities of the Baha’is and probable confrontations between the Baha’is and Muslims through law enforcement authorities.
SAVAK didn’t say to the Baha’is not to proselytize. SAVAR was sensitive to open proselytizing which ended in conflicts.
Some Baha’i – Pahlavi politicians believed that they must move secretly as long as they are formally recognized.
Because the activities of the Baha’is have recently increased across the country, it is possible for conflicts between the Baha’is and bigoted Muslims to be created and sad clergymen exploit this issue in mourning days of lunar months of Moharram [2] and Safar. Thus, please order for necessary measures to be taken and the result to be announced to prevent probable collisions cooperating with law enforcement authorities and also to prevent the Baha’is proselytizing and also to avoid the advertisements of a group of preachers whose remarks are probably against the Baha’is and will end in riot.”[۱] [3]
It is written in another document of SAVAK:
“To identify publishing houses where publish and distribute the Baha’i periodicals appropriate action must be taken and the result must quickly be announced.”[۲] [4]
SAVAK had used this trend to save the security of the Baha’is and wanted to prevent advertising against the Baha’is to be forbidden. SAVAK believed that publishing such materials which are intriguing causes convulsions and agitations of the mentioned cult, SAVAK wanted to fulfill Pahlavi policies in secret.
“Recently, the manager of Rastakhir Adl newspaper of Fatemi Zadeh presented an article to Koushesh publishing house to insert in the newspaper entitled “finality and against the Baha’ cult”. For this reason, publishing and printing it were prohibited.
Meanwhile, Fatemi Zadeh said that Marjan organization has sent this article and the newspapers of other cities such as Sayeban newspaper, Rasht city have published it in No. 1352 on second of Mordad. Because publishing such intriguing materials causes convulsions and agitations of the mentioned cult, what is that general office view concerning printing such materials and articles. The chairman of SAVAK, Khorasan-Sheikhan.”[۳] [5]
Concerning JAVAK order to prevent distributing Baha’i books and periodicals, there are various documents one of which is about the periodical of a universal religion:
“Recently, a periodical entitled a universal religion which has written about the deviant cult of Bahaism has been posted for the Baha’is. Following this news, the leader of (Sunday) operation orders for distributing and publishing the mentioned periodical to be prevented. Also, the chairman of the 3rd office is also asked to communicate the opinion of that general office concerning its distribution.”[۴] [6]
Anyway, the Baha’is were supported by the government to publish and distribute their proselytizing periodicals. Not only the Baha’is were publishing their proselytizing book regularly, but also they used the royal publishing houses for this aim. When they had problems with SAVAK policies, they influence on the court and solved the problems helped by Abdul Karim Ayadi.
“The magazine called the faith news has been seized by the security organization of Tehran city for two months and this issue has made all Baha’is sad. So, Dr. Ayadi, the special physician of the Shah has announced Your Majesty. So, Your Majesty has ordered the permit for publishing the faith news magazine and Ahang-e-Badi’a one. [5] [7]
SAVAK resources and experts who were aware of cultural and political dangers Bahaism warned about employing the members of this organization in governmental systems. Although as mentioned, the governmental authorities were inattentive and had another trends.
Enumerating the names of Baha’i students whose two-year course in middle school has been finished, the SAVAK reporter warns:
The above-mentioned Baha’is are well-known and active, so that during the previous academic year they were proselytizing even in class to such an extent that the training college had to take them a pledge.
If the above-mentioned are employed in education ministration office, they will pollute the kids’ minds of the dear country freely with their false and incorrect beliefs. This is a danger which threatens the offspring of this land.[6] [8]
Some people in charge possessed a passive looks towards security investigating of Bahaism; i.e., they looked upon Bahaism as a phenomenon which can intrigue clergymen and bigoted religious people. The following document signed by Major General Pakravan (on behalf of), the then chairman of SAVAK is an example:
“An annual conference of the Baha’is is to be held on Ordibehesht 1342 S.H. in London. Nearly 6000 Baha’is are going to participate at this conference. So far, nearly two thousand Baha’is have received passports and the rest are busy to be active.
According to this organization, the participation of the mentioned group in terms of taking foreign currency out of the country its bad reflection in the clergymen’s views and the religious bigoted people’s ones are not advisable. It is expedient for bestowing passports and leaving the country to be prevented.”[۷] [9]
Thus, it must be said that the formal policy of SAVAK has been proselytizing and hidden activity of Bahaism and it hasn’t had many problems with the activities of this organization, although there have been sensitivities with them.
Source: Hamid Reza Ismaeeli, the political organization of Bahaism, 1401 S.H., pp. 443-446.
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[۱] [11] From 321 to Semnan SAVAK, top secret, 1347/3/1
[۲] [12] From the third general office of SAVAK to SAVAK Chairman of Kermanshah, the differences between the Baha’is and Muslims, 1347/01/17
[۳] [13] From SAVAK of Khorasan province to the manager of the 3rd general office, No. 13445, H2, 1352/07/02.
[۴] [14] From 94 to 341, No. 19/13573, dated 1351/12/26.
[۵] [15] From Q/6 to HS, NO. Q/371/16, 1345/04/16.,
[۶] [16] From SAVAK to ministry of state, 155/13827, 1341/11/01