آنچه در ادامه می خوانید
Shapoor Rasekh tried to make statistics for the Baha’is:
Abstract:
Dr. Shapoor Rasekh, the sociologist, master of university, author and researcher was born in a Jewish family in 1303 S.H. and died in 1400 S.H. After passing his higher education to Ph.D. level in Persian literature course in Tehran university, he succeeded to take his Ph.D. in social sciences and sociology from social and economic sciences course college, Geneva [11]. Having teaching background at university in our country, he was the assistant of planning and budget organization and the head of the Iranian statistics center, too. His Baha’i wife and he were the members of national assembly of the Baha’is of Iran and followed Baha’i organization duties in organization duties in various parts in Iran alongside with the scientific activities. Before the Islamic Revolution, he headed off towards Geneva and followed his proselytizing and organizational aims in various dimensions under the supervision of the universal house of justice (the Baha’i leadership in Haifa) and was active in printing Baha’i books, articles and written works. The note which is worthy to be paid attention in his life – which is the aim of this article- goes back to his role in his period of management in budget and plan organization and his three-year role in the Iranian statistics organization and he tried to highlight the Baha’i population statistics in national general census of population based on pre-determined plan of Bahaism. The investigation of his function alongside with the activities of many Baha’is who were influential on the Pahlavi government can well display the role and position of Bahaism organization activity. The role which has been criticized by some Iranian open-minded people and the Iranian secular thoughts.
Introduction:
Population is considered as the really important and vital criterion in the social system of each country and each kind of changes in it causes transformation in other dimensions of that system. According to demographers, there is an important relationship between demographic variables and other aspects of social life. Thus, the concept of population, demographic policies and changes in population size and dimension have direct relationship with transformation of other social dimensions.[1] [12]
To investigate the method of demographic changes trend, each social system needs to be planned for demographic census. Statistics and planning are considered as necessary means in economic, cultural and social development. In this course, the planners and managers gather census data in suitable temporal intervals to make a consistent community in the future which is called population census.
Biography:
Shapoor Rasekh who is of the Baha’i organization managers started academic educations in Persian literature field of study college, Tehran university and ended his Ph.D. course in social sciences and sociology in 1336 S.H. defending his thesis entitled “preconceived notions and baseless prejudices among humane groups” in Geneva.
Returning to Iran, Rasekh has taught in various universities for a decade and was busy in various cultural, social and political positions including the assistant of budget and planning organization, the chairman of the Iranian census center during the years 1348-1351 S.H. He returned to Iran when Hoveyda was the prime minister of Iran and it was coincided with the new wave of Bahaism influence on the middle levels of managing the country and naturally those of Jewish descends possessed high priority.[2] [13]
From days gone by, the Baha’is have presenter false population census. Their census data has been criticized by various social people. Some of these criticisms can be observed in the following resources:
I) Abdul Hussein Ayati; Kashful Hiyal; vol.3, pp.82 & 83, vol.2, p.208.
II) Muhammad Rezaee; Baha: population from illusion and lie to reality; the center for investigating documents site.
III) Hassan Nikoo; vol.1, p.137.
IV) Mojan Momen; the introductory investigation of the method of forming Baha’i community in Iran; translated by Hourivash Rahmani.
V) Sobhi’s memoirs; pp.289-292.
VI) Ismaeeli; Bahaism political organization; p. 325.
Because the title of this article is the role of Shapour Rasekh in making census, we don’t investigate the above-mentioned materials.
I) Bahaism theory for making populations:
Rasekh’s activities when he was in Iran and when he emigrated abroad spent mainly for planning to grow Bahaism proselytizing. In this article, his role as the method of gathering statistics and inflammation of executing factors aiming displaying population of Iranian Baha’is as high will be pointed out which could be a field to recognize this creed formally.
II) The population of the Baha’is and its distribution in Iran:
Before the revolution period of time, the Bahaism organization announced the population of the Baha’is as three hundred thousand ones. In the beginning of the revolution, extensive emigration of the Baha’is happened and a large number of the Baha’is left Iran gradually and went to the other countries. Although the number of the Baha’is aren’t more than 60,000 people and emigration is continued, but the Baha’is are announcing the number of the Baha’is intentionally and falsely as 300000 ones and are claiming for the number of the Baha’is more than other religious minorities: Zoroastrians, Assyrians, Christian and Jewish. It is interesting to be noted that the formal statistics of the country and general census don’t confirm the statistics claimed by Bahaism.
Shapour Rasekh who was one of bigoted Baha’is tried to exert his view on the census of the year 1345 S.H. which was supervised by him and to perk it several times and posed Bahaism as a great religion minority and to receive Bahaism’s formal recognition from the Shah and the government.
III) Bahaism’s aims due to making census and the policy of Massing visualization:
During history, Bahaism organization has tried to display the number of Baha’is more than it is due to various reasons. The main aim of the organization is exaggerating “the power display”. Its other aims are as follows:
I) Preserving the members’ spirits: If this assumption is creating concerning this issue that there are many Baha’is in Iran where is the cradle of Bahaism [14], it will make the Baha’is be assured.
II) Recognizing Bahaism formally by Pahlavi government: The Baha’i managers thought being formally recognized will get easy by displaying the extent of Baha’i population high.
III) Attracting powers and international foundations’ supports to put pressure on Iran to cause the Baha’is to be formally recognized citing their numerous population.[3] [15]
In the same direction with this policy and at the same time with 1345 census, the Baha’is were oblidged ordered by the universal house of justice to take part in census extensively and introduce their religion as Baha’i. Even, it had been recommended them to refer to census centers again and announced we haven’t been counted after filling the questionnaire twice once in order to express their existence twice.
It seems; for this reason, Shapour Rasekh who was of known Baha’is could influence on Iranian census center and be the chairman of that center since 1348 to1351 S.H.
SAVAK report:
“According to the report, the Iranian Baha’is are going to meddle with the next census which will soon be held by the general office of census across the country and to elect census agents among the Baha’is more. The aim is to show unreal census of the Baha’i people to the government. Please issue instructions to ensure that the relevant agents are duly apprised of the matter and to inform any information regarding this to the Center promptly. Moghaddam, the director general of the third department.”[۴] [16]
IV) what happened in 1345 census?
The Iranian census center form in which the family data was being registered, the religion was also asked. In this form, the following codes and religions were being registered: Muslims: code 1, The Jewish people: code 2, the Zoroastrians: code 3, the Armenians: code 4, the Assyrians: Code 5, and other Christians: code 6. In this form, Baha’is aren’t mentioned and they were specified with code 7 with other cults. The important note was that the number of people of each of formal religion was specified after final votes, but the number of Baha’is which was along with other cults was never specified. Baha’is claimed for their numbers to be more than the Jewish and Zoroastrians, but why are they recognized formally in Iran, but the Baha’is who are more aren’t recognized formally in Iran? For this reason, they insisted the word Baha’i to be included in the questionnaire like other religions. The Pahlavi regime didn’t agree with this job and didn’t allow.
The Bahaism organization had announced the Baha’is to say they were Baha’is to the census agent, but the census agents considered it to be illegal. They called the census center and said this action is against the regulations, but Shapour Rasekh who was the manager of planning organization and census center of Iran had ordered for this job not to be matter and they can write the name of the religion next to the code.
Additionally, some people in charge of the district and region who were Baha’is might relocate the codes.
Noruddin Modarresi Chahardehi writes in this regard: “When the current census was done in Iran, the word “and etc.” was added to four formal religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrian). The Baha’i wanted to write Baha’i, but the census office didn’t accept. The assemblies of cities of the north sent a telegraph to census office and sought instructions. I resided in Lahijan city. The census office answered back that you must accept each religion which has been written by people. The workers’ wages including men and women working in tea gardens was 25 rials. The Baha’i heads paid 150 rials to 250 rials to workers to write their religion Baha’i. Is this kind of behavior related to religions or parties? Isn’t it an unlawful act in parties?” [5] [17]
Conclusion:
Shapour Rasekh as an educated, open-minded and secular person was not only claiming for being a Baha’i, but also he had passed his higher educations in Iran and Europe. He was an author, translator, poet, researcher, lecturer and an influential member of the Bahaism organization in national assemblies and the universal house of justice during the second Pahlavi period of time. Those facilities provided him positions to spend his nearly a century lifetime for various activities along with his Baha’i wife in Bahaism aims course. Rasekh’s influence, position and role in the second Pahlavi government and his cooperation with other Baha’i official of the country and in military system in Hoveyda government could well stabilize the aims of the Baha’i faith in Fran before the Islamic Revolution and in life period of time in Geneva.
Keep in touch with us: bahaismiran85@gmail.com [18]
[۱] [19] Salehi, Muhammad Mahdi, the contemporary sociology, p.143.
[۲] [20] From census making to overthrowing; Shahpour Rasekh, a lifetime serving for the organization, Baha’i Shenasi; No. 19, Year: 1400 S.H., P. 28.
[۳] [21] Ismaeeli; the political organization of Bahaism; pp. 332-333.
[۴] [22] The Third Department headed by SAVAK, the Baha’is interference in future census issue, No. 321.47242, dated 1345/08/07.
[۵] [23] Nooruddin Chahardehi, how was Bahaism created? Afarinesh publishing house, 2nd edition, 1369 S.H. p. 60.