Mother Pourandokht Mokhtari Golpayegani (Mother Sharifi)

Mother Pourandokht Mokhtari Golpayegani (Mother Sharifi), was born in 1310 (1931) in — and died at the age of ninety in Firouzgar Hospital, Tehran on 14 Ordibehesht 1400 (04 May 2021) as a result of Corona Virus infection. She married Farajollah Sharifi at the age of sixteen. She started embroidery and knitting under the tutelage of her mother. Few years later, under the influence of her brother Manouchehr Mokhtari and her husband, she became interested in political-social issues and started her activism in relation to Tudeh Party’s Women’s Organization. After the killing of her son Faramarz Sharifi by the Shah´s regime in 1351 (1972), her activism revolved mostly around the mothers and families of political prisoners, victims of murder and activists. After the killing of her other son Farzin Sharifi by the Islamic Regime of Iran  in 1360 (1981), her support of the justice-seeking movement became stronger. She became one of the founders of “The Khavaran Mothers and Families.” She played a substantial part in the holding of meetings and ceremonies. She would speak bravely at those ceremonies. In the 1980s she had an active and permanent presence at the Khavaran Cemetery every week, and later once every two weeks, and in the last few years on the first Friday of each month and the collective ceremonies of Shahrivar (September) and the last Friday of the year. Mother Sharifi was the main witness to the destruction of Khavaran by bulldozer in the morning of 27 Deymah 1387 (16 Jan. 2009); she spread information about it and went to Behesht Zahra Cemetery in order to complain about it accompanied by the Khavaran Mothers and families. She did not rest for a moment in order to bring an end to suppression, political killings and injustice.

Mother Sharifi was a strong, beautiful woman, and was a very active and influential mother in the justice-seeking movement of Iran. She attended families’ ceremonies at home and at the Khavaran Cemetery as well as other meetings and spoke there and recited verses with indescribable passion and enthusiasm. She tried with all her might to keep alive the memory of her own loved ones and of others. Mother Sharifi had a beautiful voice and recited songs and lyrics at the memorial ceremonies with great love and enthusiasm and brought ecstasy to everyone.   

Mother Sharifi was buried at her own request in Plot No. 33 at the Behesht Zahra Cemetery on Thursday 16 Ordibehesht 1400 (06 May 2021) beside the grave of her late son Faramarz Sharifi. Due to widespread of Corona Virus in Iran, it was not possible to hold a large meeting of the Khavaran Families and her friends and supporters at the Behesht Zahra Cemetery. Nevertheless, a number of the Khavaran families and her friends escorted Mother Sharifi’s body, held one minute’s silence and recited in her memory the songs and lyrics she loved, and showered her and her son Faramarz Sharifi’s graves with rose petals.

Faramarz Sharifi

Faramarz Sharifi, the elder son of Mother Sharifi, was born in the spring of 1329 (1950). He completed his High School education in the field of Mathematics at the Kharazmi High School, Tehran. He ranked first in the field of Mathematics at the national competitive entrance exams and was admitted in technical fields at the Faculty of Polytechnic and Architecture, University of Tehran. He was a great artist and exhibited his paintings at the house of Mother Sharifi. He was a member of the Organization of People´s Fadaii Guerrillas, and designed its “logo” as his first organizational job which became the Organization’s official logo. Faramarz was killed on 7 Mordad 1351 (29 July 1972) in an armed conflict with the agents of Savak at Soleimanieh Avenue, Tehran, together with two of his fellow fighters, Farrokh Sepehri and Mehdi Fazilatkalam.

Frazin Sharifi

Farzin Sharifi, the second son of Mother Sharifi, was born in Shahrivar 1333 (September 1954). He completed his High School education in the field of Mathematics at the Kharazmi High School, Tehran. He was accepted in the field of architecture at the Melli University of Iran after having passed the national competitive entrance exams. He was very good at Design. Like his brother, he too was passionate about struggle and justice-seeking and became a member of the majority faction of Organization of People´s Fadaii Guerrillas after its split in two factions. Farzin Sharifi at the age of 26 married Farzaneh Farrokh Ebrahimi in 1359 (1980). Shortly, in the morning of 5 Mehr 1360 (27 Sep. 1981), while he was watching an armed conflict in front of his office between the Sepah Coprs and the Mujahedin in Jamhouri Avenue, he was arrested. The criminals of the Islamic Republic executed him on the night of the day he was arrested as he was denied a trial. From Farzin and Farzaneh have survived by a son named Pouyan.  

Manouchehr Mokhtari Golpayegani

Manouchehr Mokhtari Golpayegani, the brother of Mother Sharifi, was born in 1307 (1928) and was a political activist. At the Officers College he became acquainted with a number of Tudeh Party officers and began his clandestine activities. He was responsible for preparing and compiling a part of the articles published in the daily newspaper “Mardom” (People), an organ of the Tudeh Party of Iran. With the betrayal of the military organization of the Tudeh Party, he was arrested together with a number of other officers on 3 Shahrivar 1333 (25 Aug. 1954) and was imprisoned at the Ghasr Prison. After the mass execution of a number of the Tudeh Party officers, Manoucher Mokhtari was asked to escape death by writing a letter of repentance. However, he did not change his position and was condemned to death. Manouchehr Mokhtari Gopayegani was handed over to the death squad at the age of 27 on 26 Mordad 1334 (18 Aug. 1955). He was a first lieutenant and a member of the Board of Secretaries of the Tudeh Party’s Officers Organization. He and his wife have survived by a son named Babak.