Talking to Rahim Zehtab Fard

Rahim Zehtab Fard By: Morteza RasouliPour

¨ You referred to the proposal of the oil ministry position's tenure, from Doctor Mossadeq to Mr. Haj Muhhamad Namazi, in your book as Afsaneh Mossadeq. Please explain it a little more.

One day, I was in my office. A person, who I forget his name now, called and told me: "Messer Haj Muhammad Namazi has a letter for you. If you allow me, I'll bring it for you." I said: "Occasionally, I'm near you, so I'm coming to get it". I went to his office in Sadi Street, Opposite to Iran tour and I received a thick package which contained a letter. I opened the parcel and read the letter. Its content was about: "Messer Zehtab! Doctor Mossadeq offered me the tenure of the oil ministry (at that time, there was no oil company), but I have never done the executive work in this field and if you hear my name about the oil, it is due to some oil ships that I have.

After reading the letter, I called to Messer Elahyar Saleh, the interior minister and to meet him. He also made an appointment for tomorrow at 7 A.M. in ministry of interior (the current place of the advertising organization). Therefore, I met with him and explained the issue. I was curious to know about what will be the reaction of the minister. God bless him. He moved twice in his chair and told me:" Mr. Zehtab! I've respected for you but it is better not to spread rumors. I said:" Excuse me! I was not crazy to come here at 7 A.M. and hear these words." He was a little upset and said; "I meant to say, if you are the opposing of the Mossadeq government, all right. It's nothing. Oppose with him. But do not spread rumors. Do not tease the old man." I said: "Mr. Saleh! If I show you the letter of Muhammad Namazi, you return it to me again?" He thought for a second and then told me:" What does" give it to me" mean? Certainly, I show the letter, I wore his eye glasses and read it for 10 minutes. He repeated this sentence for several times. He is a crazy man. He is a crazy. He referred to Mr. Mossadeq. When he read the letter, he had an unusual mood. Then he asked surprisingly:" Did Mr. Haj Muhammad Namazi write it down? Mr. Mossadeq did not propose this case into cabinet and he has never referred the letter.

Mr. Elahyar Saleh decided to show the letter to Mossadeq and the day after I met him, he returned it and excused me about yesterday and said: Mr. Zehtab! You were right. He played with us. We did not aware of his offer, based on the assigning of the oil ministry's responsibility to Mr. Haj Muhammad Namazi. He should have informed us and proposed to the cabinet but unfortunately, he did none of them. Haj Muhammad Namazi could absorb a group of experts in the oil different fields with his own expense to use their consultation, proficiency and experience and conveyed them to Dr. Mossadeq to apply them, if they considered useful and effective.

It should be noted that Haj Muhammad Namazi helped 30 million Tuman to solve the civil and villages of Shiraz problems. It was obvious that the absorbing and applying of the oil experts has a high expense. Therefore, I prepared a copy of the letter and gave it to Mr. Ismael Rain. Ismael Rain reported the issue to Amidi Nouri due to his work experience and friendship. Thus, the letter was published in that day's newspaper and Amidi nouri devoted two pages of the Itelaat newspaper to quote the story.