- Quote: ‘Looking back, I think we must have had a charmed life. We got along well with our Iranian landlord’
By Andrew Atkinson
For those British expatriates living in Iran in 1978, the events which took place on the 5th November have given a new dimension to our traditional Bonfire Night, says Mary Ivy Nell, who arrived at Mehrabad Airport in 1977 to join her husband – unaware they were to witness a Revolution.
Rojales based Mary reflected: “We were unaware that we were to witness a Revolution, having lived in the Middle East and finding no difficulty in adapting to the different customs and traditions of the Islamic country, and of course the climate is glorious.
“Life isn’t all sunshine, naturally, and we encountered the usual hassles and frustrations – which come with language problems.
“The Iranian logic also takes some understanding, especially in their attitude to driving. “Looking back, I think we must have had a charmed life to survive the appalling traffic conditions.
“Our ground floor apartment was exceptionally well equipped and we got along well with our Iranian landlord who lived on the fourth floor.
“We had made friends with several of the other English couples and found Iran very much to our liking.
“Most of the local shopkeepers appeared friendly and helpful and seemed to appreciate our fractured Farsi, the Persian language.
“But in late July, 1978, the mood of the country began to change, with the festival of Ramazan.
“This deeply religious period of fasting during the hours of daylight is traditionally the time when political and social grievances are aired, and it became apparent that the more politically minded mullahs, or priests, were indoctrinating anti-Shah propaganda.
“We could sense the tension and several skirmishes took place between militants and government troops, nearly always after the long evening prayer gatherings.
“However, on the 4th September, a Peace March was organised to celebrate the end of the Holy Month of Ramazan, and thousands of people marched through the city, the women in their black chadors, carrying flowers as a symbolic gesture of peace.”
*Part 2 of Mary Ivy Nell’s look back on Iran in next week’s Leader.
