March 12 marks the anniversary of Ahmad Kasravi’s assassination in the Court chamber by Islamic fundamentalists. Ahmad Kasravi Tabrizi was amongst one of the greatest freethinkers of Iran, perhaps the most prolific writers of twentieth-century Iran. Like thousands and thousands of dear compatriots, Ahmad Kasravi was a victim of a chain of terror orchestrated by Islamic fundamentalists.

The Alliance of Iranian Students remembers Kasravi as a noble and freedom-loving Iranian, and holds March 12 as a day of remembrance for the late Ahmad Kasravi.

Ahmad Kasravi was born on September 29,1890, or 8 Mehr 1269, in the city of Tabriz. Ahmad Kasravi has written in his memoirs ( "My Life", With An Introduction by Yahya Zoka, Jahan Book Co. 1990) that he was the fourth son of his father to be named after his grandfather. At the age of six, Kasravi began his education in a traditional school (maktab). Following the death of his father when he was thirteen years old Kasravi spent more than two years in a carpet-weaving factory to help support his family. He then entered a seminary in Tabriz to become a Shi’i clergyman, as his father had wished.
Three major events—one personal-religious; the second cosmological; and the third sociopolitical—occurred within a five-or six-year period in Kasravi’s early life which left a lasting impact on him, and, very likely determined the course of his life.
The personal and religious event occurred in 1910-1911, when he memorized the Koran: ‘In order to remember what he was memorizing, he felt he had to focus on the actual meaning of the verses (as opposed to the meanings given by interpreters, commentators, etc…). This caused "the first jolt to my ideas and belief." Having reached the status of mullah at the age of twenty, Kasravi flatly repudiated all that he considered to be unenlightened and repressive in the Shi’i education. He soon began to question the clergy’s behavior—their hypocrisy, demagoguery, and greed; their abuse of religion; their obsession with the distant past and disinterest in contemporary problems; their disregard for the welfare of their flock; their divisive influence, which created and encouraged sectarianism; and, of most immediate concern, the violently hostile response of most of them to the Constitutional Revolution. His unorthodox sermons and liberal activities, intensified after the Russian forces occupied Tabriz, adding to his already well-known open-minded and liberal views on religion. These sermons attracted increasingly intense hostility from religious leaders. However, with his refusal to conform to the conventional forms of preaching and dress, he soon became a target of criticism. Disillusioned, he abandoned this pursuit.’
The cosmological event in Kasravi’s life, was the appearance of Haley’s Comet in 1911, and his discovery that its periodic appearance had been correctly predicted by scientific methods. With his knowledge of Arabic and the Koran, Kasravi became exposed to new, Western ideas and sciences through Arabic language publications. He began reading on a variety of subjects, including calculus, geometry, algebra, astronomy and physics on his own. The first book he read was on Astronomy. "I was pleased and happy to see that science had come to follow such a clear path in Europe." His acquaintance with science, though limited, instilled in him a respect for the scientific method. In fact, a clear feature of his later thinking on religion was the strong belief that religion should be compatible with science. A side-effect of his interest in natural science was his decision to learn English, since Persian and other Middle Eastern languages were still rather poor in scientific publications. However, English was more helpful to him in his research in history and linguistics, since he did not pursue the sciences.
The sociopolitical event was the Constitutional Revolution. It began in 1905 in Tehran, but soon Tabriz became its center, saving it from the Royalists and their Czarist Russian supporters. The concepts of liberty, law, and popular government appealed to him, and he used the pulpit to incite the people in its favor. He was particularly impressed by the people’s army, the Mojahedin, led by Sattar Khan and his compatriots, who fought the shah’s forces as well as the occupying Russian soldiers. "This event was one of the most influential in my life," he said many years later in his autobiography. The reason: "the dastardly acts of many cabinet ministers and others," and "on the other hand, the resistance of a group of Iranians against an iron-fisted government such as Czarist Russia." His love of democracy grew stronger with time. In fact, he considered his own movement, as far as its Iranian phase was considered, a continuation of the Constitutional Revolution.

Books By Kasravi:

Taarikh e Mashroote-ye Iran (History Of Iranian Constitutional Revolution), 1319-21 (1940-43)
Taarikh e Hejdah Saaleye Azarbaijan (The 18 Year History In Azarbaijan),1313-19 (1934-41)
Taarikh e Paansad Saaleye Khoozestan (The 500 year History In Khoozestaan), 1312 (1933/34)
Taarikhche-ye Shir-o-Khorshid (History Of The Lion And The Sun), 1309 (1930/31)
Shahriaaraan e Gomnaam (Obscure Dynasties), 1307-09 (1928-31)
Azari Yaa Zabaan e Baastaan e Azarbaigan (Azari Or The Ancient Language Of Azarbaigan) (preview by Ehsaan Yaar Shaater, republished by Iranbooks,Inc.1993)
Zabaan e Paak (The Pure Language), 1322 (1943/44)
Zabaan e Farsi (The Persian Language), 1316 (1937/38)
Varjaavand Bonyaad (The Sacred Foundation), 1322 (1943/44)
Dar Piraamoon e Eslaam (On Islam), 1322 (1943/44)
Dar Piraamoon e Falsafe (On Philosophy), 1344 (1965/66)
Dar Piraamoon e Ravaan (On Soul), 1324 (1945/46)
Dar Piraamoon e Taarikh (On History)
Dar Piraamoon e Kherad (On "Rational Faculties"), 1322 (1943/44)
Dar Piraamoon e She'r Va Shaae'ri (On Poetry And Poetry Writting)
Dar Piraamoon e Adabiyaat (On Literature), 1323 (1944/45)
Dar Rah e Siyaasat (On the Path of Politics), 1324 (1945/46)
Dar Piraamoon e Romaan (On Fiction), 1322 (1943/44)
Dar Piraamoon e Fal-sa-fe-ye Yunaan (On greek Philosophy), 1344 (1965/66)
Dar Piraamoon e Jaanevaraan (On Animals), 1324 (1945/46)
Din Va Jahaan (Religion And The World), 1323 (1944/45)
Farhang Ast Ya Neyrang? (Is It Culture Or Deception?), 1323(1944/45)
Shiee- gari (Shiie'ism), 1322 (1943/44)
Bahaaiee- gari (Bahai'ism), 1322 (1943/44)
Sufi-gari (Sufi'ism), 1322 (1943/44)
Khaaharaan Va Dokhtaraan e Maa (Our Sisters And Daughters) (preview by M.A. Jazaayeri, republished in 1992 by: Iranbooks,Inc.)
Zendegaanye Man (My Life) (republished by: Jahan book co. 1990)
Daad-gaah (The Tribunal), 1322 (1944/45)
Maa Che Mi-khaaheem? (What Do we Ask?), 1319 (1940/41)
Hafez Che Migooyad? (What Does Hafez Say?), 1322 (1943/44)
Din Va Danesh (Religion And The Science), 1319 (1940/41)
Payaame Man Be Shargh (My Message To East)
Maa Az Farhang Che Mi-Khaahim? (What Do We Expect From [a] Culture?)
Pendaarhaa, Mohoomaat-Khoraafaat (Old Wives' Tales, Witchcrafts- Superstitions), 1322 (1943/44)
Diaanat, Peyghambari Va Raahe Rastegaari (Devotion, Prophecy, And The Path To Salvation)
Sarnevesht e Iran Che Khaahad Bood? (What Will Be With Iran?), 1324 (1945/46)
Naamhaaye Shahr Haa Va Deh Haaye Iran (Names Of The Towns And Villages Of Iran), 1308 (1929/30)

Ahmad Kasravi

Alliance of Iranian Students
(http://www.daneshjooyan.org)