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Important Events in the History of Iran
Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On June 13, 1980 AD, the Founder of Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (RA), ordered establishment of Cultural Revolution Headquarters for reformation of universities. The message called for plans to evaluate courses based on Islamic culture and values in order to develop Iran’s higher education system by removing influences of undesirable western values.
On June 16, 1965 AD, four members of the Islamic Coalition Group, namely Mohammad Bukharai, Sadeq Amani, Saffar Harandi, and Morteza Niknejad, were martyred by the British-installed and US-backed Shah, for protesting against his anti-Islamic policies. The Islamic Coalition was formed in the aftermath of the exile of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA) following the 15th of Khordad Uprising (June 5, 1963). This combatant group had earlier carried out the revolutionary execution of the then Iranian premier, Hassan Ali Mansour, the implementer of the scandalous Capitulation Law, which granted judicial immunity to Americans in Iran. More than hundred members of the Islamic Coalition Group were arrested, tortured and imprisoned after unfair trials.
On June 17, 1979 AD, the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA) ordered the setting up of the Construction Jihad Organization for self-sufficiency of Iran and for eradication of poverty and deprivation, especially in remote areas. People of various strata of society, especially pupils, students, and committed and educated youths, responded to the Imam's call and thus started the nationwide mobilization for revival and reconstruction of disadvantaged regions. Construction Jihad has done commendable services, and was active during the eight-year Holy Defense to safeguard Iran's independence and territorial integrity against Saddam's US-supported Ba'thist war machine. Its valuable service cover rural industries, agriculture, animal husbandry, dam construction, natural resources, watershed management and dozens of other fields. It is also actively in a number of African states such as Tanzania, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. In 1983, Construction Jihad Organization turned into a Ministry, and in 2000 was merged with the Ministry of Agriculture.
On June 19, 1951 AD, following the ratification of the act for nationalization of Iran’s oil industry on March 20, 1951, a board comprised of Iranian experts took charge of the executive affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company this day, as per the recommendations of Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qassem Kashani and Iranian premier, Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq, thereby dissolving the British controlled Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and dismissing the 450-odd foreign staff. The Iranian people achieved a landmark victory this day against domestic despotism and foreign hegemony in the face of British plots and threats.
On June 20, 1994 AD, the MKO terrorists committed a blasphemous crime in Mashhad by triggering a bomb blast in the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), while pilgrims were commemorating the anniversary of the tragedy of Ashura – the 10th of Moharram. Scores of pilgrims were martyred or wounded and part of the holy shrine was damaged. The Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in his message of condolences to the Iranian nation, said: By committing such a sacrilegious crime, the MKO terrorists showed they are not committed to any humanitarian principle; and their enmity toward the courageous and faithful Iranian nation has no limits.
On June 21, 1990 AD, a massive earthquake measuring 7.3 Richter on the scale jolted Gilan and Zanjan Provinces in northwestern Iran, at night, inflicting huge fatalities and major losses. The epicenter of this quake which was in Roudbar, claimed more than 50,000 lives, while wounding 60,000 others and leaving 500,000 people homeless. In the wake of this catastrophic earthquake, the Iranian people and government rushed to help the quake victims and compensated for the damages imposed by this quake.
On June 23, 1908 AD, Iran’s first parliament following the victory of the Constitutional Movement, was attacked by the Qajarid king, Mohammad Ali Shah and closed down. On the Shah’s orders, the Cossack brigade, led by Russian Colonel Vladimir Liakhov, besieged the parliament resulting in a confrontation with the constitutionalists. Several Iranian freedom fighters were martyred, while many others were incarcerated or sent into exile. Among those hanged by the king were Malik ul-Motakallemin and Mirza Jahangir Khan Shirazi.
On June 25, 1988 AD, Saddam of the repressive Ba'th minority regime of Iraq, with US support, ordered chemical bombardment of Iranian combatants stationed in Majnoun Islands during the 8-year imposed war. In these barbaric air raids, hundreds of Iranian combatants were martyred or wounded. The world turned a blind eye to the use of internationally banned chemical weapons against Iran by Saddam, who parallel with the victories of Iranian combatants intensified usage of chemical weapons. The Ba'thist army used chemical weapons against Iran at least on 200 different occasions during the 8-year war, wounding and martyring nearly 30,000 Iranian soldiers and civilians.
On June 26, 1723 AD, a year after the Afghan occupation of Iran and the virtual collapse of the powerful Safavid Dynasty, the Russians advanced upon the frontiers of the Persian Empire in the Caucasus, seized Daghestan, laid siege to the Iranian city of Baku, bombarded it and forced it to surrender. Soon with the rise of Nader Quli Beg (later Nader Shah) as the powerful general of Shah Tahmasp II, Iran was freed from the Afghan usurpers and Iranian border territories liberated from the Ottoman and Russian occupation. Baku returned to Iranian sovereignty and by the treaty of Ganja in 1735, Moscow agreed to withdraw from Daghestan as well. Baku was occupied by the Russians in 1796 and retaken the next year by the Qajarids, who in the 1813 War lost it to Russia again. Baku is currently the capital of Republic of Azerbaijan. The name "Azar" is Persian for fire, while ‘Baijan’ which is an Arabic corruption of the Persian word "Payegaan" – since the letters “P” and “G” have no equivalent in Arabic and were replaced by “B” and “J” –means Guardian or Land. Thus, Azerbaijan means “Land of Fire”, probably because of the oil wells around Baku that at times spewed fire, as recorded by ancient texts, including the travels of Marco Polo.
On 18th of the Islamic month of Sha’ban in 1324 AH, the first-ever Iranian parliament officially started its work, thanks to the selfless struggles of the people. The prominent members of the parliament included two popular religious leaders, Seyyed Mohammad Tabatabai, and Seyyed Abdullah Behbahani. Soon, Iran’s first Constitution was drafted and signed by the Qajarid King, Mozaffar od-Din Shah. It was the one of the most active parliaments during the Constitutional era, before deviation set in.
On June 27, 1981 AD, the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who at the time was representative of the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA) at the Supreme Defence Council, in addition to being Tehran’s Permanent Friday Prayer leader, became the target of an assassination attempt by MKO terrorists. The terrorists, known as hypocrites, detonated a bomb severely wounding him while he was delivering a speech at a Tehran mosque. He miraculously survived this assassination attempt to become the elected president of the country for two consecutive terms (8 years), before becoming Leader of the Islamic Revolution in 1989. His right hand was severely damaged in this assassination attempt. Imam Khomeini (RA), in his message pointed out that the evil enemies of the Islamic Republic are desperately trying to undermine Ayatollah Khamenei, who as a descendent of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), has spared no efforts to serve the holy religion of Islam and the Islamic country.
On June 28, 1981 AD, Chief Justice, Ayatollah Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Husseini Beheshti, along with 72 officials of the Islamic Revolution, including ministers and MPs, was martyred in a terrorist bomb blast by the MKO hypocrites at the headquarters of the Islamic Republic Party in Tehran. Ayatollah Dr. Beheshti, as a loyal follower of Imam Khomeini (AS) was considered a pillar of the Islamic Revolution. He played a major role in drafting the constitution of the Islamic Republic, establishing the Islamic Judicial system, foiling plots of anti-revolutionaries, and standing firm against US conspiracies. According to the late Imam, Ayatollah Beheshti was like a nation and his martyrdom revealed the true, ominous nature of the MKO terrorists.
On June 29, 1987 AD, the Iranian city of Sardasht was chemically attacked by Saddam’s repressive Ba’th minority regime, resulting in the martyrdom of 110 civilians. Saddam’s use of internationally banned chemical weapons supplied to him by the West and his committing of other abominable war crimes, were because of his series of defeats at the warfronts against Iran’s Muslim combatants. Neither the UN nor any international agency condemned these reprehensible crimes.
On July 3, 1988 AD, the US in a blatant act of terrorism, shot down an Iranian Airbus passenger plane en route from Bandar Abbas to Dubai, by firing two missiles from the warship Vincennes that had ventured into Iranian coastal waters in the Persian Gulf. All 298 passengers and crew on board were killed. The regular four-days a week Iran Air Flight 655 was deliberately shot down by the US in a show of Washington’s support for the Saddam who was suffering defeat after defeat in his US-instigated 8-year war against the Islamic Republic. The US lied to the world media regarding the incident and tried to depict it as a mistake, but soon in an insult to the Iranian nation, the US President granted a medal of bravery to Captain Will Rogers for his cowardly act of terrorism in downing the Iranian passenger plane.
On July 4, 1982 AD, three Iranian diplomats along with the IRNA reporter and their Lebanese driver were kidnapped in Beirut by the Phalangist Christian militia, while returning to the Iranian Embassy in the Lebanese capital. The Iranians, who today remain the world's longest-held hostages, include Charge d’Affaires, Seyyed Mohsen Musavi, Ahmad Motavasellian, Mohammad Taqi Rastegar Moqaddam, and Kazem Akhawan. Reports indicate their transfer to the dungeons of the illegal Zionist entity.
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