Mohammad Mofatteh
Martyr Dr. Mohammad Mofatteh | |
|---|---|
| File:Mofatteh.jpg | |
| Born | June 17, 1928 Famenin, Hamadan, Iran |
| Died | December 18, 1979 (aged 51) |
| Cause of death | Assassination by bullet shot |
| Resting place | Fatemeh Ma'sumeh shrine |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Occupation(s) | University professor, Dean of colleague, seminary teacher |
| Known for | Unity of seminary and university |
| Notable work | Tafsir Kabir Majmaolbayan, The Way of Thought, Outcomes of Imperialism |
| Parent |
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Mohammad Mofatteh (Persian: محمد مفتح; 1928–1979) was an Iranian philosopher, theologian and political activist, born in Famenin, Hamadan, Iran.[2] After he finished his primary education in Hamadan, he left for the Islamic Seminary in Qom where he was taught by reputable teachers such as Ayatollah Muhammad Hujjat Kuh-Kamari, Ayatollah Sayyed Hossein Tabatabei Borujerdi and Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini, Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani, Ayatollah Marashi, and Allameh Tabatabie. He kept on his studies at seminary and at the same time studied Philosophy at Tehran University, where he earned his PhD and became a professor and a dean of colleague.
Mofatteh was a religiopolitic activist and worked for making unity between seminary and academics. Also, he had an "important" role in fighting against Shah's regime and in familiarizing the new generation with subjects in Islamic issues. He was a prayer leader in Javid and Qoba Mosque where he hold and managed religious and ideological sessions and organized political activities against Shah. He performed Eid al-Fitr prayer in Tehran in 1978 and his sermon led to the demonstrations of 7 and 8 December. His activities led to his arrest and exile by SAVAK on several occasions.
He was the author of different books such as Translation of Tafsir Kabir Majmaolbayan, 'The Way of Thought', 'Outcomes of Imperialism' and etc. He also wrote many articles such "The Role of Muslim Scientists in The Advance of Science" and "Where Islamic Scientific Movements Began?."
He was assassinated by four Forqan group gunmen in front of Theology department of Tehran University, on 18 December 1979. He was shot at four times and the bullets went through his head, shoulder, hands and knees. The day of his assassination is credited the day for the "unity among seminaries and universities."
Early education
He was born in a priestly family. His father Haj sheikh mahmoud Mofatteh, known as Mirza mahmoud, was one of the eminent teachers of Hamadan seminary. His father also was skillful in knowledge like Arabic and Persian literature. Mohammad also could use to participate in his father’s courses and could obtain his primary knowledge.[1]
Mohammad Mofatteh attended Akhund Mullah Ali Hamedani’s school in Hamadan.[3] After completing his primary education there, he left for the known Islamic Seminary in Qom at 16,[1] where he was taught by Ayatollah Muhammad Hujjat Kuh-Kamari, Ayatollah Sayyed Hossein Tabatabei Borujerdi and Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini, Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani, Ayatollah Marashi, and Allameh Tabatabie.[2]
Activities
Political
Mofatteh and Beheshti were among those who articulated Khomeini's spiritual and political authority in Islamic revolution. In other words, they extended the views of Khomeini in politics and ideology.[4] As a religiopolitical activist, he used to travel to different places of Iran in 1950s and 1960s. Especially, during Ramadhan and Moharram, and Safar, he used to go to Khuzestan province for guiding people. After he developed his activities in Khuzestan, SAVAK prohibited his entrance to the province. In 1968, he was fired from department of education and was exiled to Zahedan for his political activities. After the exile period was finished, SAVAK prohibited his entrance to Qom and instead, "to neutralize his religiopolitical activities", suggested him to be a professor at Tehran University.[1]
In 1973, by invitation of people, he went to Javid mosque in Tehran for leading the prayers. There, he held ideological classes on 'The fundamentals of beliefs', Philosophy, Tafsir of Quran, Nahj al-Balagha, History of Religions and Sociology. He kept on his activities in Javid mosque so that it became a center for fighting against Shah, and SAVAK closed the mosque after Khamenei's speech in it, on 24 November 1974, and sent Mofatteh to prison for almost two months. In 1976, he accepted the responsibility of managing Qoba Mosque in Tehran where he did some innovations such as inviting Egyptian Quran reciters, inviting Abdul Fatah Abdul Maqsood, the author of Ali book. He established a library and an interest-free loan center in the mosque. After a while, he was prohibited from holding lectures.[1] As an Islamist leader, Ayatollah Mofatteh organized demonstrations against Shah's regime in Qoba Mosque.[5]
Mofatteh had a trip to Lebanon and Syria and visited Imam Musa Sadr, where they aimed to help the Lebanese evacuees and perform cultural activities. In that trip, Musa Sadr and Mofatteh decided to establish a center where the children of evacuees could spend their educational programs from primary stages up to university levels. They bought a land for constructing the center but they did not keep on the procedure after Sadr's disappearance.[6]
He performed the prayer of Eid al-Fitr in 1978[7] in Gheytarieh in which an unprecedented large number of people took part and was marked as a "shining point in the history of the Islamic Revolution."[8] After praying finished, he gave a "very revolutionary and crucial" lecture, mentioned "Imam Khomeini" and emphasized on respecting him. The lecture led to demonstrations of 7 September (16th of Shahrivar). He was injured in the demonstration and was arrested while returning home from the hospital and was imprisoned for two months.[1] After the demonstration, people promised to gather the next day on 8 September at Jaleh (Shohada) square which led to the Black Friday event.[8][9]
He was a part of Khomeini's welcoming committee and was responsible for managing the affairs in Behesht-e Zahra. The committee organized 65000 people as the 'Disciplinary Forces' to protect Khomeini.[6] Mofatteh was one of the founders of the 'Combatant Clergy Association',[10] and was among those who joined secular organizations such as the 'Teachers Association' in order to counter the influence of Tudeh party,[11] and to "advance their common cause against the state."[12]
Academic
Mofatteh was studying at the university and was teaching at seminary at the same time, which gathered criticisms from some people who used to told him, in an advising manner, that this was tarnishing his status.[1] As the initiator of 'seminary-university unity', he studied Philosophy at university and attended seminary in Qom. Then he became a professor at Tehran university and taught divine law and principles of philosophy at Qom seminary.[13] Like his colleague Professor Motahari, he started to teach university students in 1969. He was experienced enough in teaching because he was the teacher of a high school in Qom as well.[citation needed] Along with Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hossein Beheshti, he worked in 'Religion and Knowledge' high school in Qom, where they aimed to familiarize the new generation with Islam and seminary student with academic and scientific activities. Also, for this goal, Mofatteh established the 'Islamic Association of Students and Educators', in cooperation with Ayatollah Beheshti and Ayatollah Khamenei.[1]
Works
He has written many books among which we can refer to the Translation of Tafsir Kabir Majmaolbayan, 'The Way of Thought' and 'Outcomes of Imperialism'.[13] His dissertation in doctorate was "divine wisdom in Nahj al-Balagha". He concerned in forementioned essay with the relation of religion and philosophy.[14] besides there are many works in different majors of Islamic sciences as follow:
- A glosses on Hikmat Muta'aliyyeh
- The way of thought in logic
- The verses of beliefs in Quran
- Unity of academics and seminary[14]
He published articles mainly in "Islam School" and "Shia School" magazines. Also, he published some other articles entitled "The Role of Muslim Scientists in The Advance of Science", "Where Islamic Scientific Movements Began?", "Muslims' learning and research in Medicine" and "Research Method of Muslim Scientists" (all of the above articles were published by Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology in a collection entitled "The Role of Scientists in the Advance of Science.")[1]
Death
Assassination
Mofatteh was assassinated by Forghan group, when he was in front of the building of Theology department of Tehran University along with his two guards, Asghar Nematy and Javad Bahmany, on 18 December 1979,[15][16] when he was dean of the Theology department.[17] He was shot at four times and the bullets went through his head, shoulder, hands and knees. He was taken to Ayatollah Taleghany Hospital where he died on the same day.[18] Four members of Forghan namely, Kamal Yassini, Mahmud Kashani, Mohammad Nouri, and Hassan Nouri were engaged in the assassination.[19] Kamal Yasini, Mofatteh's assassin, a 20 years old youth who held the responsibility of planning the groups terror, said that their previous terror attempts including one at Pars school were unsuccessful and that he had aimed to perform the terror by himself.[15]
Funeral
In the morning of 19 December his body with those of his guards were escorted from mosque of university then was carried to Qom and was buried there in the courtyard of Fatemeh Ma'sumeh shrine.[15]
Reception
December 18, the day Mofatteh was assassinated, is credited the day for the "unity among seminaries and universities."[13]
See also
Sources
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Staff writer. "Mofatteh, Mohammad (Ayatollah)". Encyclopedias of Islamic revolution and Iranian history (Encyclopedia contemporary clerics).
- ^ a b "Life, ethics and family of martyr doctor Mofatteh". Message of Woman (201). 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Grant ayatollah molla Ali Masumi hamedani". comprehensive center of Iran's contemporary history. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ Gheissari, Ali; Nasr, Vali; Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza. Democracy in Iran: History and the Quest for Liberty. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195396966.
- ^ Afkhami, Gholam Reza. The Life and Times of the Shah. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520942165. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Martyr Mofatteh by the narration of his closest friend". Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ Parsa, Misagh. Social Origins of the Iranian Revolution. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9780813514123. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Assassination of Ayatollah Mofatteh and the Day of unity between Islamic Seminaries and universities". Islamic Revolution Document Center. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Martyr Ayatollah Dr. Mofatteh from the mosques base in the cultural and social field". Guardian of Islam (276): 26. 2004. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "New leader of Iran's main conservative party appointed". TREND News Agency. Infotrac Newsstand. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2016. – via Infotrac Newsstand (subscription required)
- ^ Brumberg, Daniel. Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226077581. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ Boroujerdi, Mehrzad. Iranian Intellectuals and the West: The Tormented Triumph of Nativism. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815627265. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ a b c "December 18 marks seminary-university unity". Iran Daily. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ a b Tabrizi, Qasim (2006). "A glance to biography of mofatteh". Yaran (in farsi) (14).
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b c "How martyr Mofatteh was assassinated". IRIB News Network. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ Zabir, Sepehr. Iran Since the Revolution (RLE Iran D). Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781136833007. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ Behrooz, Maziar. Rebels With A Cause: The Failure of the Left in Iran. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781860646300. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ "Assassination of martyr Mofatteh by the narration of papers". Mashregh News (in farsi). Retrieved 10 July 2016.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ Einollahzadeh, Soheila. "Dr. Mohammad Mofatteh". The Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies (IICHS). Retrieved 10 July 2016.