[PROVISIONAL TRANSLATION FROM PERSIAN]

 

[Translator’s notes appear in square brackets]

[Personal information has been redacted.]

[The excerpt below is from the section of the article that pertains to the Baha’i Faith]

 

[Newspaper:] Kayhan

[Date] 24/12/57 [15 March 1979]

[Issue No:] 10662

 

In the Defence Seat,

Amir-Abbas Hoveyda defends himself against the charges brought by the Islamic Justice Court in a public trial before an audience of more than 200, some of whom are the families of the martyrs… “And regarding [the accusation of] ‘enemy of God’, I am from a religious family. Not only is ‘enemy of God’ not the right word, but on the contrary, I think because of my religious beliefs I went on a pilgrimage to the House of God. I also have an elderly mother and she too has strong beliefs. I ask the court where did I ‘take arms’ against God and what human can ‘take arms’ against God? [The word] ‘Enemy of God’ comes from ‘war’, meaning fighting against God.

 

• [He was asked] “In what religion do you believe?”

Hoveyda: “Certainly, my religion is Islam, the religion of the family into which I was born.”

…

On the Revolutionary Court side-lines …

…

• About the rumours of being a Baha’i, Hoveyda said: “Ask the member of Parliament who accuses me of being a Baha’i, which department of the country had prepared a report [about the truth of this accusation]?” Hoveyda was apparently referring to SAVAK[1].

Hoveyda emphasised in court that he is a Muslim and has also gone on a pilgrimage to Great Mecca.

 

 

[1] [Acronym: “National Intelligence and Information Agency”, The intelligence agency in the Pahlavi regime]