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Constitution
Movement in Yazd
Yazd
was among the first cities, which fervently joined
Iran’s Constitution Movement in 1906. Among those who
embraced the idea of constitutionals were Hajj Mohammad
Taqi Mazar, Molla Abdulkarim Haeri Mesgar (Imadul-Islam)
and Said Abolqasem Shahzadeh Fazeli, who in protest to the
government’s suppressive measures, staged a sit-in in
British Consulate in Yazd along with other groups of
people.
Molla
Abdulkarim Haeri was elected Yazd’s first representative
in National Consultative Assembly. The replacement of the
system of Iran’s government by a constitutional system
led to the change of Yazd’s ruler. Later, when Mohammad
Ali Shah launched a coup d’etat against
constitutionalism, the people of Yazd sent a wire to the
capital, which reflected the view of Yazd people. The
telegraph read:
“To
the supervisory board of the Parliament whose foundation
may God fortify: Four days ago a telegraph was received
from Mohammad Ali Shah connoting a superficial leniency.
But it could not touch any heart among us. And today we
received the dreadful news that Shah has broken his
promise and pledge. This has provoked the public’s
anger. Since we regard ourselves as the subjects of a
Muslem King; we do not recognize the one who violates his
own promise and Holy Quran as fit to rule Muslems. We are
all, therefore, prepared to sacrifice our lives and
property to attain constitutionalism, which is an Islamic
motto. We await your orders to call us to Tehran to
sacrifice our blood for the cause of National Assembly, to
uproot the oppressors and evil-doers and make the Shiite
religion prevail.”
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