Days of Turmoil; February 1, 1979 as Reported by Newspapers

On the eleventh day of Bahman 57 (February 1, 1979), as Iran awaits the arrival of Ayatollah Khomeini, the newspapers Kayhan and Ettela'at reported on the designated route for Khomeini from the airport to Behesht Zahra. Reactions to the "attack on Shahr-e Now" and the resignation of a group of parliament representatives were also significant news items for these two newspapers on Bahman 11. In this context, Ettela'at noted that the new British ambassador had arrived in Tehran that day. Some of the main headlines from Kayhan and Ettela'at on Bahman 11 include: *The airport is closed to other planes* *The route for the Imam from the airport to Behesht Zahra has been announced* *With the Imam's arrival, the Islamic Revolutionary Council will be formed* *Some representatives resign due to "current necessities"* *Foreign thugs have been arrested* *The attack on Shahr-e Now was incited by mercenary agents* *600 hospital beds remain unused* *There are no weapons in hospitals* *Why are all news not published?* *The new British ambassador has arrived* *A group of foreign journalists arrived in Tehran from Paris* *An order was issued for the evacuation of Americans from Iran* *Iranian students in the U.S. are at risk of expulsion due to financial difficulties* *How is the grouping of factions in Tehran?* In reporting the headlines and articles from these newspapers, efforts were made to preserve the orthography and writing style as they were published at the time. The airport is closed to other planes Kayhan reported that the Iranian government agreed to the flight of "Air France" carrying Ayatollah Khomeini from Paris to Tehran. Reactions to the "attack on Shahr-e Now" and the resignation of a group of parliament representatives were also significant news items for these two newspapers on Bahman 11. In this context, Ettela'at noted that the new British ambassador had arrived in Tehran that day. Some of the main headlines from Kayhan and Ettela'at on Bahman 11 include: *The airport is closed to other planes* *The route for the Imam from the airport to Behesht Zahra has been announced* *With the Imam's arrival, the Islamic Revolutionary Council will be formed* *Some representatives resign due to "current necessities"* *Foreign thugs have been arrested* *The attack on Shahr-e Now was incited by mercenary agents* *600 hospital beds remain unused* *There are no weapons in hospitals* *A group of foreign journalists arrived in Tehran from Paris* *An order was issued for the evacuation of Americans from Iran* *Iranian students in the U.S. are at risk of expulsion due to financial difficulties* *How is the grouping of factions in Tehran?* The airport is closed to other planes Kayhan reported that the Iranian government agreed to the flight of "Air France" carrying Ayatollah Khomeini from Paris to Tehran. The timing of the airport closure was announced with the assumption that the Air France flight would land in Tehran at 9 AM, from the beginning of the day until 11 AM. The route for the Imam from the airport to Behesht Zahra has been announced Kayhan, alongside reports confirming the arrival of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, published a simple map indicating the route from Mehrabad Airport to Behesht Zahra. On this day, Ayatollah Motahhari, the spokesman for the fighting clergy in Tehran, quoted Ayatollah Khomeini as saying to Kayhan: "I am a seminarian, and the welcoming ceremony should be as simple as possible." Mr. Motahhari explained that if Ayatollah Khomeini's stay in Tehran is not extended "for the sake of expediency," he will go to the city of Qom, and he also added that he insists on residing in southern Tehran "despite the fact that many houses in northern Tehran are prepared to host him." With the Imam's arrival, the Islamic Revolutionary Council will be formed Kayhan reported on a French television report about Ayatollah Khomeini's "190-day" presence in Neauphle-le-Château. This report noted the small size of this village and mentioned that with Ayatollah Khomeini's presence, this place gained "global fame," and at the same time, the world "understood that the key to solving Iran's problems was in the hands of" Ayatollah Khomeini. Kayhan also referred to a report from the newspaper "Le Matin" stating that Ayatollah Khomeini "intends to announce the formation of the Revolutionary Council upon his arrival in Tehran and introduce a provisional government, and if Bakhtiar does not resign, he will create the conditions for the fall of his government." In looking at another French media outlet, the newspaper Libération, it referred to Ayatollah Khomeini's statement that "today is still not the time for armed struggle." A number of representatives resign due to "current necessities" Kayhan quoted representatives who decided to resign, stating that these individuals announced their resignation to the newspaper before going through the official procedures, citing "current necessities and the wishes of their constituents" as the reasons. "A parliamentary official" stated that representatives who announce their resignation to the newspapers are "only doing so to clarify their position in public opinion and among their constituents." This unnamed official added that since representatives "have 15 days to retract their resignation and consider this period a 'relief,' they will wait for future events to make a 'final' decision at the appropriate time." This report cited parliamentary circles indicating that by next week, the number of representatives resigning could reach "up to 40," which is "almost equal to the number of representatives who voted no confidence in Bakhtiar's government." Meanwhile, it is reported that 172 representatives have firmly stated that they will remain in the parliamentary front and will not resign. Foreign thugs have been arrested Kayhan reported that on the 10th of Esfand (March 1), "10 Afghans who were involved in stealing and burning the homes and shops of people were arrested in the Aryashahr area by the locals." According to this report, "to determine the punishment for these individuals," they were transferred to Ayatollah Taleghani's house. One of the locals involved in the arrest told Kayhan: "One of the individuals confessed during interrogation that along with 9 compatriots, they attacked people with sticks and knives and committed theft." The report stated that alongside "sticks and knives," some "hashish" was also found in the homes of these individuals. Meanwhile, it is reported that since Ayatollah Taleghani was not present when these individuals were brought to his house, his associates requested that the detainees be transferred to the "prosecutor's office." The attack on Shahr-e Now was incited by mercenary agents After Tehran newspapers reported on the attack on Shahr-e Now, Kayhan published a statement from Ayatollah Taleghani's office in which he condemned this attack and urged people "not to succumb to conspiracies." In this statement, the cleric attributed the attack on Shahr-e Now to "the dirty mercenaries of the regime" who "incited innocent and unaware Muslim brothers to attack the fortress of Shahr-e Now." Ayatollah Taleghani also referred to the residents of this fortress as "victims of the corrupt colonial and despotic regime" who must be "protected from any aggression." He emphasized that these individuals should be "guided and counseled in appropriate opportunities inspired by the school of mercy and human dignity of Islam and adorned with the beauty of repentance to return to society." 600 hospital beds remain unused The Ettela'at newspaper reported that in hospitals one, two, and three, there are "600 empty beds" and "hospital officials are refusing to accept patients." This issue was announced by the staff of these hospitals in a statement, stating they are ready to accept the injured and patients. The report also referenced a statement from "residents of medical centers" at the National University, indicating that they are "fully prepared to accept patients at all hours of the day and night to provide as much health and medical services as possible." At the same time, Ettela'at reported in another article about a shortage of medicine in Tehran pharmacies due to the "uncontrolled rush" of people to buy medicine "to help the injured from recent protests." The manager of the Takht Jamshid pharmacy told this newspaper that given the manner and extent of medicine and medical supplies purchased by the people of Tehran, "due to the strikes, Tehran pharmacies will face shortages of these medical supplies in the coming days." In hospitals, there are no weapons The National Organization of Physicians and Dentists harshly criticized recent statements by Shapur Bakhtiar, the Prime Minister. The Ettela'at newspaper reflected this statement, which said Bakhtiar attempted to attribute the deaths of protesters on Bahman 6 to "the interference of foreign elements" and for this purpose spoke of "lies such as the existence of weapons in hospitals." In this report, the statement from the "residents of medical centers" at the National University was also referenced, indicating that they are "fully prepared to accept patients at all hours of the day and night to provide as much health and medical services as possible."