Evident during the prime timeHis minister paid special attention to the Baha’is and gave them special privileges. It was through this attention and privileges that the Baha’is grew rapidly during Hoyda’s prime ministership and achieved success in various fields, especially the economy.
Bahá’í: One of the claims of the Baha’i sect is that it says that Baha’i does not interfere in political affairs, there is no talk of politics in Baha’i meetings and circles, and in general members of this organization are prohibited from interfering in political affairs and in the area where they live, they must Follow and obey its rule. But the reality is different and from that day when Ali-Mohammed Bab was executed and Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar was the target of assassination attempt
it placed. Bahá’ís have become interested in politics and until today Bahá’ís of Iran have both interfered in political affairs and found their way into international political currents. Since the beginning of this century, Baha’is in Iran have taken important government jobs and even high-ranking officials in their hands and had influence and involvement in all state affairs.
The first noticeable effect of the presence of Baha’is in the top jobs of the country was the increase in the process of hiring Baha’is in government ministries and organizations, who, at the end of Hoyda’s prime ministership, openly declared and expressed their affiliation to the Baha’i sect in the service tariffs. Also, in the army, there were friendships with Baha’i officers, students, and conscripts, and in the first months of spring and summer of 1344, all Baha’i officers, students, and soldiers were ordered to go on leave for 48 hours to participate in their religious celebrations. 1
During his prime ministership, Hoyda paid special attention to the Baha’is and gave them special privileges. It was through this attention and privileges that the Baha’is grew rapidly during Hoyda’s prime ministership and achieved success in various fields, especially the economy. Khosrow Motazad says about this:
“Only two years after Hoyda’s prime ministership, Mrs. Gas, one of the author’s acquaintances, told me that she (Hoyda) said that she was not a Baha’i at all and that she was secular and had no prejudice in Baha’iism, the number of associations and Bahá’ís in Iran increased surprisingly. A large number of Baha’is who first claimed to be Muslims but later openly wrote that they are Baha’is in the employment questionnaires. They were appointed to important positions in universities, ministries, government agencies, and the army… During Hoyda’s prime ministership, the followers of the Baha’i sect gained great power and influence. Baha’is use this power and influence not only to acquire personal wealth and power, but also according to their own fantasies and hopes and ideals, in order to transform and gradually change the ideological and mental beliefs and perceptions of the people of Iran and to spread the Baha’i religion, or at least officially. They used to make it as one of the divine religions. 2
Regarding Hoyda’s affiliation with Freemasonry and his participation in the meetings of various lodges, there are many documents that confirm his presence in Molavi Lodge, Tehran Lodge, Light Lodge, Iran Grand Lodge, Koresh Lodge and Foroughi Lodge.
Howida appointed Bahá’ís to key jobs. Even some of his cabinet ministers, such as Lt. Gen. Sanii, Minister of War, Farrokh Rou Parsai, Minister of Education, Manouchehr Shahqoli, Minister of Health, Mansoor Rouhani, Minister of Water and Electricity, and Manouchehr Taslimi, Minister of Commerce, were Bahai. During his rule, by applying the decisions of the leadership of the committee, Hoyda expanded the influence of the Baha’is in all political-economic and military levels to such an extent that when the president of the University of Tehran wanted by summoning Dr. Ehsanullah Yarshater, a Baha’i professor of culture and Iran’s history in America, to prevent his destructive and anti-national and religious activities, was angered by Hoyda and he was removed from the presidency of Tehran University.
Howida’s support for the Baha’is expanded to such an extent that his appreciation and gratitude were placed on the agenda of the Baha’i congregations, and in many of the reports prepared by Savak on the Baha’i congregations, documents of this appreciation and gratitude to Howida can be seen. to be Let’s look at an example of these reports:
“The meeting dated 3/7/1347 of Nafahatullah Publication Commission was held in the house of Asadollah Qodsianzadeh. In this meeting, Abbas Aghdasi, who was the speaker of the commission, thanked Mr. Asadullah Alam, Minister of the Court, and Mr. Amir Abbas Hoyda, as a Baha’i and a Baha’i-born, for their kindness towards Baha’ism. In this meeting, it was also mentioned that the progress of us Baha’is is in the fact that we have a spy in every department of Iran and all the ministries, and once a week, when the plans prepared by the government reach the Emperor Ariyamehr, there are also reports about the plan. Bahá’í spiritual gatherings are coming. 3
In general, Baha’is of Iran considered their progress and success in the last decade of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s reign to be the result of Hoyda’s services and support. In another report of SAVAK in 1357, this point is mentioned:
“…Mr. Amir Abbas Hoyda ruled Iran for thirteen years with the support of the Supreme Court, and the Baha’i community made significant progress, and influential Baha’i people occupied important positions in Iran and sent the country’s money abroad. » ۴
Freemasonry: Hoyda was a freemason and during his presidency, Iran became the arena of various freemasonry lodges. Amir Abbas Hoyda probably joined the Freemasonry Jirga in the same years 1330-1335 when he was stationed at the United Nations in Geneva, and when he returned to Iran, he received strong domestic and foreign support. Hoyda’s supporters who actually supported him in the field of Iranian politics, namely Rajab Ali Mansour and Abdullah Tzam, were both pillars of Freemasonry in Iran. 5
Regarding Hoyda’s affiliation with Freemasonry and his participation in the meetings of various lodges, there are several documents that confirm his presence in Molavi Lodge, Tehran Lodge, Light Lodge, Iran Grand Lodge, Koresh Lodge and Foroughi Lodge. 6 However, as Hoyda himself states, he has refused to participate in these meetings even if possible. And this non-attendance does not mean that he is exempted from membership in the Freemasonry organization, but he intended to make himself a popular and popular figure and not be hated and disgusted by the nation.
Despite the face of Amir Abbas Hoyda as one of the grand masters of the “Grand Lodge of Iran”, the active presence of other freemasons in his government was not far from expected.
Hoyda’s support for the Baha’is expanded to such an extent that his appreciation and gratitude were included in the agenda of the Baha’i circles.
This issue has been mentioned in several SAVAK reports. In a report dated August 1348, we read:
Respectfully, regarding the restoration of the cabinet of Mr. Amir Abbas Hoyda, below are the names of the ministers who are members of the Freemasonry organization for recall: Mr. Amir Abbas Hoyda, Prime Minister, Nasser Yeganeh, Advisory Minister and Parliamentary Deputy to the Prime Minister, Javad Mansour, Minister of Information, Hassan Zahedi, Minister of Interior, Manouchehr Parto, Minister of Justice, Majid Rahnama, Minister of Science and Higher Education, Fethullah Sotoudeh, Minister of Post, Telegraph and Telephone, Mehrdad “Pahlabad, Minister of Culture and Arts, Iraj Vahidi, Minister of Agriculture.” 7
On 2/8/1352, the third general office of Savak also reported the names of the Freemason Hoyda ministers. In this report, in addition to the above names, people such as Mahmoud Qavam Sadri, Minister of Counseling, Nasir Assar, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of Endowment Organization, and Hoshang Ansari, Minister of Economy, are mentioned.
