Shaban Jafari

Fatemeh Moezzi

Shaban Jafari was born in 1921 in Tehran, Sangelaj quarter. After studying for a short time in some schools including Onsori, Basirat and Islam, he abandoned his education because his wickedness and was known as Shaban Bimokh (brainless). After abandoning his education, he proceeded to different jobs but he was not successful in them either and for his great interests in traditional sport (varzesh-e-Bastani), he resorted to it.

Shaban who had gathered a group of ruffians in his quarter around him, was imprisoned at his 15 for wickedness. In 1940 he went to serve in the army as it was obligatory and his two years soldiering took 4 years because of repeated escapes from the military service. After the arrival of allies to Iran, he also brought to an end his soldiering by escaping from garrison and after a time accompanied by some wrestlers in Shahpoor square he set out an sport club named Ahan Club and became a pioneer in championship competitions of traditional sports of the country in 1943 in the field of bow-shaped iron (Kabaddeh) and spinning.

Jafari was favoured by the sovereignty in 1947 after winding up the theatre of " people" directed by Abdolhosein Nooshin in Ferdossi and instead of being imprisoned for the offence of causing a disturbance and disorder in public order, he was given money and went from Tehran to Lahijan for a time by the order of criminal investigation Department. He managed a zoor-khaneh (a palaestra specially one of the old type in Persia) in Lahijan and after one year returned to Tehran.
The decade of thirty was the golden decade for this cursed brainless. In 1950 when he went to meet Ayattullah Kashani who was returning from exile, it became prevalent among the Ayattullah's advocates that he was attending the ceremony for the purpose of killing him and the same case caused him to be taken by the Ayattullah's advocates and also confined to bed in the hospital for a time. Then he rose in support of Doctor Mossadegh and the Iranian Oil Nationalization Movement. Accompanied by his ruffian group he made attacks to the left and Tudeh newspapaer offices opposed to Dr. Mossadegh's government. They attacked Chalangar, Mardom, Shuresh, Badr, etc. … and ruined them. This disturbance led to his imprisonment in Qasr prison for a time

After being released, he took up his way again. In 21 July 1952, he tried to help Dr. Mossadegh to regain his seat of premiership but after a short time he abstained from Mossadegh and there happened the event of 28 February 1953. On this day, according to Dr. Mossadegh's offer, the Shah intended to go out of the country and traveling to Holy thresholds (Atabat-e-Aliat) when Shaban accompanied by his ruffian group prevented this by gathering before the Marmar palace. Through his threatening of Bazaris the Bazar was shut down. His group went before Dr. Mossadegh's house and broke the door of his house. This event culminated in his imprisoned until 19 August 1953 and in the noon of 19 August 1953 he was released from the prison by the order of Zahedi and assumed the responsibility of controlling ruffians. He was famed as Tajbakhsh after the 19 August Coup. After this service, he met the Shah according to Timsar Zahedi's offer, and there was given to him a land for founding a sport club, also at this same meeting he asked permission from him to form an association named as self-sacrificing Young s' association to be used on some necessary times. The constitution of Jafari's club took three years and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi opened it by himself. The honorary directorship of it was undertaken by Teimoor Bakhtiar for a time. The club's expenses were being secured from the court, Shah's association and SAVAK. Although he repudiates the receipt of any money from the court, but there exists some documents regarding his demands for money from the court. In February 20, 1954 Doctor Hossein Fatemi was arrested and Shaban Jafari who had an especial enmity to him, went before the police office with his group and when Fatemi came out, he attacked him (it is said that he attacked him with knife) and beat him. In his memoirs he clearly renounces it and considers it as an impossible act from his side.
In the ceremonies of Aban 4th, Jafari would play the traditional sports at Amjadieh Stadium every year before the Shah. A great number of government's foreign guests were being invited to his club and there was performed the traditional sport.
During the events of June 5th, 1963, the Jafari club caught fire. Jafari and his self-sacrificing young' s associates also rushed to streets on June 6 to retaliate and threaten people. His presence on these days was so repulsive that the ministry of information and security of country asked him not to appear in circles any more. Disposing of the rowdhah (professional narrating of the tragedies of Karbala) ceremonies during the ten days of Moharram at Dabaghkhaneh Takiyeh was his another action, the expenses of which was annually given to him by SAVAK.
By the rise of the Islamic Revolution, Jafari felt the danger and flight to Israel but he returned to Iran and simultaneous with the Shah's exit from the country, he went to Japan. Then he went to Germany, Israel, France, England and Turkey. In Turkey he acted against the Islamic Republic with the group of General Ariana and now he lives in California by receiving the American citizenship and recently his memoirs have been published by Homa Sarshar.
There exists 209 pieces of photos and 32 documents in the Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies about Shaban Jafari.