Seyed Abdol-Hossain Dastgheib

(20 of Azar 1360 / 11 December 1981)

Friday, 20 of Azar 1360, Ayatollah Seyed Abdol - Hossein Dastgheib, while going for Friday prayer in Shiraz, was martyred by bomb explosion in one of the city alleys.

Seyed Abdol-Hossein was born in 1288 (1909) in a clergy family in Shiraz. His father Seyed Mohammad Taqi was in Karbala at the time of his birth. Because his birth coincided with Ashoura they named him Abdol-Hossein. His father died when he was 12 and after that he was responsible for the family. In 1310 (1931) he went to Najaf for proceeding his education and benefited from attending in classes of Haaj sheikh Kazem Shirazi, Esfahani, Haj Seyed Mirza Estahbahanati, and Haj Mirza Ali Agha Ghazi. Then he became a mojtahed (a high rank clergy man). Returning from Najaf, he not only held religious programs and congregation prayer in Atigh, the chief mosque in Shiraz, but also continued learning, and benefited from attending a famous deceased jurisprudent Ayatollah Haj sheikh Mohammad Ansari. In 1321 he repaired Atigh mosque. Since then this mosque was active in all scenes for about 40 years and during this time Ayatollah Dastgheib turned it in to a center for guiding youths.

Political campaign

His political campaign started when Reza Khan (founder of Pahlavi) held the reins of power inIran.While Pahlavi removed women's veils, he was publicly against it. Nothing could damage his will to continue his campaign. Even when he was banned fromorating, he sat on the ground and sermonized for people, and when the Regime's officers protested that, he answered them he was banned from orating not from speaking on the ground. The climax of his campaign against Regime was at the time when thehexadic bill was raised which led to movement in 1341, Imam Khomeini's protestation and the bloodyuprise on 15 Khordad 1342 (5 June 1963).

On 15 of Khordad 1342 he was arrested by government official and he was exiled to Tehran. In 1343 he was arrested for the second time, was dispatched to Tehran and then he was exiled toFars. From that time on he ledFars dwellers.

In 1356 hirelings of Shah kept him under surveillance and this action faced with people's reaction inShiraz which forced the Regime to withdraw. The massacre by the Regime in fifth of Ramazan inShiraz led the chief mosque to be closed for 2 weeks. Martial law was declared and he was captured and imprisoned inTehran and then was exiled. At this time Ayatollah Dastgheib in company with a group of mullahs issued a declaration and dethroned the king.

After the victory of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Dastgheib was elected to the constituent assembly. On those days because of the individuals request and Imam's order he was appointed as the chief mullah for Friday prayers and ceremonies. Ayatollah Dastgheib was one of the sinceres of Imam.