The recent revelations about direct CIA involvement in the 1953 Iranian coup d’état (known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup) bring back very personal memories for Yousef Ahadi.
The recent revelations about direct CIA involvement in the 1953 Iranian coup d’état (known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup) bring back very personal memories for Yousef Ahadi.
Yousef has been running the Persian Tent at Just Festival 2013, a place of refreshment and renewal amidst the bustle of festival season.
The overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran, and of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, took place on 19 August 1953, orchestrated by the UK (under the name ‘Operation Boot’) and the United States (under the name TPAJAX Project).
Yousef’s mother was taking part in a protest against the dictatorship, with Yousef alongside her… the outcome of which is that he reckons the CIA owe him at least a bottle of milk!
Much more seriously, though, he explains in this interview with Just Festival News why the latest revelations need to bring about a real change of heart in the West – and in the world as a whole – away from violence and injustice, and towards a better way of living together.
The legacy of the bitterness between Iran and the West can be found in part in the tragic events which unfolded 60 years ago this month.
Yousef Ahadi, who runs the Persian Rug Village in Edinburgh (http://www.persianrugvillage.com/), led a session at Festival about the story of his mother, intertwined with a large part of the unfolding events in the twentieth century, starting with the Russian Revolution. He hopes to turn this into a documentary film.
Just Festival, also known simply as Just, runs from 2-26 August 2013. It is based at St John’s Church, Edinburgh, and some 27 other occasional venues, and combines artistic and performance style events with conversations, talks, films, exhibits and other ways of exploring how to live together creatively in a mixed-belief society.
* For more information on Just Festival, visit http://www.justjust.org and http://justfestivalnews.blogspot.com
* Ekklesia is a sponsor of Just Festival. Our news, reporting and comment is aggregated at: www.ekklesia.co.uk/justfestival
The full podcast is attached here: