Historians and the History-Maker Ayatollah Montazeri
Historians in a way construct history by reconstructing past events. The real history-makers, however, are the individuals that come and go, and produce history with their lives. Historians cannot repaint the entire history. They are forced to choose the most important events and influential individuals. Although history is the totality of behavior of all individuals, some individuals play a key role in shaping the path of events.
The history-makers are not the resolves of all issues and problems, but if they have acted ethically, that become “role models” for their people and future generations. No nation is without ethical role modes. Gandhi is the ethical role model of Indians and all freedom-seekers who believe in non-violent struggle.
The Iranian revolution brought Michel Foucault to Tehran and Qom. He regarded the Iranian revolution as the spirit of a dispirited world. But when the executions and suppressions began, Foucault’s opinion changed. Ayatollah Khomeini did not want to become Gandhi for Iranians and the world. When executions and torture began, Ayatollah Khomeini defended and, in some cases ¾ especially the mass execution of prisoners in summer of 1988 ¾ issued the orders. But fate required that another individual, Ayatollah Montazeri, stand up to prison, torture and execution. It was he who stood up to violating the fundamental rights of opponents. It was he whose hands were not dripping with blood. It was he who sacrificed the position of supreme leadership to defend prisoners.
Ayatollah Khomeini’s charismatic personality was not something that would bind him to remain silent. The “post of supreme leadership” was not something that would trick him. Attacks and insults by thugs was not something that would frighten him. House arrest for years was not something that would force him into retreat. Comfort was not something that would entice him to sacrifice ethics. Loneliness was not something that would weaken his brave resistance. Massive insults by rulers, beholden clerics and the oppression machine were not things that would break him.
He stood and stood and stood until he became the symbol of the Iranian people’s struggle. He showed that one can stand up to dictatorship. He showed that, even if a charismatic figure makes everyone obedient to him, one can still not succumb to populism and stand up alone to oppression and injustice. Ali Khamenei is not mistaken when he says in his condolence note that, towards the end of Ayatollah Khomeini’s life, “A difficult and dangerous test emerged.” Yes, many failed that test. Ali Khamenei was among the people who created many “worldly problems” for that dissident hero Montazeri. Now, after Ayatollah Montazeri’s passing, he writes that those “worldly problems” were “punishments” for Montazeri’s resistance. He shamelessly asked God to forgive in “lenience” Ayatollah Montazeri’s sins ¾ his resistance! Perhaps he has forgotten that it was not Ayatollah Montazeri who issued the order to execute political prisoners; it was not him who issued orders to assassinate dissidents inside and outside the country. In all these crimes, he was on the side of victims and against the murders. He left us clean.
Many have spoken and written to describe his courage. But “theoretical courage” to reform previous beliefs is the rarest kind of courage. Ayatollah Montazeri continuously updated his legal-religious views. If, in the beginning, the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (“rule of the jurist”) played a prominent role in his religious philosophy, in the end, he reformed his philosophy and prioritized citizenship rights.
His end was another beginning. His passing gave him new life. He introduced to us another type of “political figure.” If the green movement achieves its goals, he has won in reality. Montazeri accompanied the movement and was helping it until the last moments of his life.
Ayatollah Montazeri left and left everyone in tears. He was not only the father of his sons and daughters. He was the father of all of us. His body will be laid to rest at some place, but his character will be with us as our role model.