Host: Reza Alamzadeh Guests: Mohammad Mossadegh, Don Quixote, Aref Qazvini, Colonel Mohammad Taghi Khan Pessian, and Pirān Viseh Music: 'Between Two Waters' Dinner Menu: Kaf Sooz! The host of this program is Reza Alamzadeh. Mr. Alamzadeh is a filmmaker, writer, and theater director with over forty years of artistic activity. He graduated from the Higher School of Television and Cinema in 1968 and made several feature and documentary films before the revolution. In 1973, he was tried along with the Khosrow Golserkhi group on charges of acting against the Shah's regime and received a life sentence, which he was later released from during the Iranian Revolution. He explains the story of this arrest in his book 'A Hand in Art, An Eye in Politics' and states that this accusation was fundamentally fabricated. Before leaving Iran in 1983, he made several documentaries, including 'Talk, Turkmen' and 'The Little Wise Black Fish.' Mr. Alamzadeh has also made several feature and documentary films abroad, including 'Guests of the Astoria Hotel' about the problems of Iranians immigrating abroad, 'Sacred Crime' about the assassination of opponents of the regime abroad, 'Iranian Taboo' about the violation of Baha'i rights in Iran, and 'Tell Me About the Sea' about the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. In recent years, he has staged several plays, such as 'Mossadegh' and his latest work 'The Owl of War,' which is an anti-war play derived from the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi and the character Pirān Viseh, a peace-seeking commander of Turan. Mr. Alamzadeh lives in the suburbs of Amsterdam, and I have spoken with him over the phone.
About Reza Alamzadeh Reza Alamzadeh is a filmmaker, writer, and theater director with over forty years of artistic activity. His works include 'Guests of the Astoria Hotel' about the problems of Iranians for immigration, 'Sacred Crime' about the assassination of opponents of the regime, 'Iranian Taboo' about the violation of Baha'i rights, and 'Tell Me About the Sea' about the 1988 massacre.
Mr. Reza Alamzadeh, welcome to the host program. Which five people would you like to invite to your dinner party? Thank you, dear friend, and listeners of the program. I have chosen these five people in an order I will explain later. The first is Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, the second is Don Quixote, the third is Aref Qazvini, the fourth is Colonel Mohammad Taghi Khan Pessian, and the fifth is Pirān Viseh.
Very well, Mr. Alamzadeh. Your guests have been identified. You will definitely explain to the audience of Radio Farda why you chose them and talk more about them later. But before that, if possible, can you tell me which music you have in mind for the dinner party? I especially have a particular interest in the works of the late Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucía, who was a gypsy. The piece I would like to play is called 'Entre Dos Aguas,' which means 'Between Two Waters' in Persian.
Reza Alamzadeh / 'Between Two Waters' Selected Music: 'Between Two Waters' Composer: Paco de Lucía This is a guitar piece that he composed and performed in 1976 when he was young. Even after fifty years, it remains one of the most brilliant works of this phenomenon and prodigy of gypsy guitar playing.
Now let's return to the guests you have chosen. First, you mentioned Mohammad Mossadegh, the former Prime Minister of Iran. Mr. Alamzadeh, why do you admire Mossadegh? Let me explain that all five of the people I chose are characters from my play. When I was invited to participate in your program, I thought about selecting five individuals who have their own unique characteristics and a common feature, which is their love for the people, populism, humanism, and patriotism.
Very well, you mentioned Mohammad Mossadegh.
Guests of Reza Alamzadeh / Mohammad Mossadegh Mohammad Mossadegh (1882-1967): Lawyer, politician, and Prime Minister of Iran Famous for: Leading the nationalization of oil Reason for invitation: In contemporary Iranian history, there is no figure who has been so practically in power while remaining committed to the human principles he declared before coming to power. I believe Mohammad Mossadegh is very well known to your listeners. In contemporary Iranian history, there is no figure who has been so practically in power while remaining committed to the human principles he declared before coming to power. Committed to democracy, respecting the rights of opponents, and modernity. And his commitment to integrity, which I should have mentioned first, because integrity has truly been absent in our rulers throughout history.
Perhaps due to his adherence to his principles, he was ultimately overthrown in the coup of August 19. Do you think Mossadegh could have remained in power by taking other paths? I do not claim that Mossadegh made no political mistakes in his life or that there were no other paths available. I do not believe that. If you pay attention to my play, I also criticize him there. I have a scene where his son clearly asks him why he rejected the meeting with His Majesty at my house. And Mossadegh is left without an answer. So it is not that everything he did was exactly right. But I have no doubt about his commitment to the people and the homeland.
You must have researched Mossadegh's temperament when you were writing the play about him. What do you think his behavior would be like at your dinner party? Would he be a typical politician? I hope he doesn't bring the games I used in my play, the theatrics or fainting, and such things. I hope there won't be any excitement at my dinner. Of course, I am not too worried. Because the music I will play at the dinner is so delicate that it will not allow them to fight. Besides, they have no quarrel with each other. If I, as the host, tell the guests why I invited them, it is because of the populism and patriotism shared among them, which will connect them so much that they may not want to leave my house that night.
Now let's move on to your second guest, Don Quixote, the hero of Cervantes' novel of the same name. Why do you want Don Quixote to come to your party?
Guests of Reza Alamzadeh / Don Quixote Don Quixote: A fictional character from the novel of the same name by Cervantes Reason for invitation: Don Quixote is a humanist, a populist, and a patriot. He embodies the state of all patriots who sometimes lose touch with reality, but he is one of the noblest characters.
You asked a good question, Sadiq. You know what the story is; I even wrote an article about it. I don't know who put this egg in the mouth of Persian speakers that Don Quixote means a foolish and ignorant person. While in Spanish culture and the Spanish-speaking world, this is not the case at all. Don Quixote is a humanist, a populist, and a patriot. He has the same state as all patriots, who sometimes lose touch with reality. But in the minds of Spanish speakers, he is one of the noblest characters. I truly regret seeing that sometimes people like Ahmadinejad and Khamenei are referred to as Don Quixote-like. There is nothing in Don Quixote that can be compared to them. Don Quixote is a humanist, but he sometimes takes a path in his struggle that, since the book is written in a humorous way, is comical. This is evident in the story, and those who read it see that Don Quixote seeks goals that help people escape from oppression and tyranny.
His goal is precisely humanistic, and he has no other aim. But I think what has made this story famous is that Don Quixote becomes delusional and fights imaginary enemies. This aspect of the book has become more well-known.
Exactly as you say. It is very interesting to say that this battle of Don Quixote with the windmills, which is the most famous, believe it or not, constitutes only half a page of this 1300-1400 page book; not even a full page.
As you mentioned, he becomes delusional. Moreover, the book is written in a humorous way and actually mocks knights. But the human being behind Don Quixote is a noble and pure person, a humanist and a patriot. I think having such a character at your dinner would be very interesting. I hope he doesn't become delusional there!
First of all, I think he will play tricks on everyone because you know he was very good-natured and has a very sweet character. Or others might tease him because of the antics he has done.
Now let's move on to your third guest, Aref Qazvini, who is one of the great poets and lyricists of the Constitutional Revolution. Why do you admire Aref?
Guests of Reza Alamzadeh / Aref Qazvini Aref Qazvini (1880-1933): Iranian poet and composer Important work: 'From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland, the Tulip Has Bloomed,' 'The Pride of the Nation' Reason for invitation: Aref's love for his homeland is something that is not hidden from anyone. His love for the homeland remained unchanged, although the way of expressing and articulating this love changed.
Aref, like Mossadegh, does not need much explanation because his love for the homeland is something that is not hidden from anyone. Now, let’s set aside the fact that in the last years of his life, he was under severe pressure and had some disillusionments, and this love for the homeland manifested itself as a curse against everything and, in fact, expressed pain and suffering. He even renounced his period of freedom-seeking, saying he made a mistake, etc. All of these are reflections of the anger he had in the years before his death. These are also another manifestation of love for the homeland in him. Those days when he hoped that this homeland would be freed from the dark Qajar era and the dark period of prejudices, especially religious prejudices, turned into a kind of despair. But the love for the homeland remained unchanged in him. However, the way of expressing and articulating this love changed.
Let me also say that it might be a bit indirect. We Iranians, especially those who were literate, did not see all the knowledge Aref had about the depth of the catastrophe of Islamism in Iran and about the mullahs and clerics and ayatollahs, which he explicitly expressed in his poetry. How did we not see it? At that time, he wrote so much about this... Of course, Sadegh Hedayat did this too, and we still did not see it; many others wrote, but we did not see it. Let’s move on.
Now let's turn to your fourth guest, Colonel Pessian from the military of Khorasan.
Guests of Reza Alamzadeh / Mohammad Taghi Pessian Mohammad Taghi Pessian (1891-1921): Military figure of the Qajar era Famous for: Commanding the Gendarmerie of Khorasan and being the first Iranian pilot Reason for invitation: Colonel Pessian is one of the shining examples of modern, organized, and noble individuals. He was the first Iranian pilot and flew during World War I. Alongside that, he also wrote poetry.
Again, as I mentioned earlier, for the same two reasons of populism and patriotism, Colonel Pessian is one of the shining examples of modern, organized, and noble individuals. He was the first Iranian pilot, educated in Germany, and flew during World War I. He also wrote poetry. He composed the first national anthems for his Khorasan Gendarmerie. He was a disciplined military man and at the same time had the heart of a poet. His closest friends were Iraj Mirza and Aref Qazvini. You know that Aref Qazvini's internal defeat occurred with the death of Colonel Pessian. When the Colonel was killed, Aref, as he said, became desolate. Later, when they brought the Colonel's body to Mashhad, they held the largest funeral for him at that time.
The famous couplet written on the Colonel's coffin was from Aref's poems: 'This head that signifies leadership / and this form that is free from the bondage of existence / with the eye of its tears, see / this is the end of patriotism.'
The central government, after all, considered Pessian a rebel and a self-willed person who established an independent government in Khorasan, and many Iranians have this perception of him. But do you want to present a different face of Pessian?
It is really very strange. This is one of those terrible historical misunderstandings. There was nothing like that at all. Qavam al-Saltanah was the ruler of Khorasan at that time and was ruling there like a king. Seyyed Zia, the Prime Minister of the country, asked the Colonel to send Qavam to Tehran. He executed the order of the Prime Minister. But after Qavam was sent to Tehran, a few months later, in the political games of that time, Seyyed Zia lost power, and Qavam al-Saltanah was brought directly from prison to the parliament and made Prime Minister. Then, out of spite, Qavam al-Saltanah plotted to kill Colonel Pessian, while he had merely executed the government's command. Qavam stirred up all the local landlords and others against the Colonel, and he resisted, and it did not take six months before he was killed. In those five or six months, the work he did in Khorasan for the welfare of the people and development was unparalleled. Later, they accused him of having connections with the Bolsheviks, which was not true at all. Colonel Pessian was, in fact, the same character as Aref Qazvini in military attire. He was an extreme enthusiast of populism and humanism like the other guests of mine. He was a military man. If you were to make Aref Qazvini into a military figure and a general, he would become Colonel Pessian. They say as if he separated Khorasan and wanted to make it independent. There is absolutely nothing like that in the history of Colonel Pessian.
Your last guest is Pirān Viseh. Can I ask you why you chose a Turanian hero from the Shahnameh instead of an Iranian one, one of Afrasiab's commanders?
Guests of Reza Alamzadeh / Pirān Viseh Pirān Viseh: A warrior from Turan in the Shahnameh Reason for invitation: Pirān Viseh is the only commander who, intellectually, is averse to war and whose entire effort is to achieve reconciliation between Iran and Turan, avoiding war and bloodshed.