Major General Qarani

Farideh Sharifi

 

Son of Mirza Agha Khan, Seyyed Mohammad Vali-ollah Qarani was born in Tehran, 1913. He was educated in Dar-olfonun and Nezam and continued his education in the cadet school, and after two years, he was educated with the rank of second lieutenant.

 

He passed the war staff courses in the staff college successfully and was transferred to Rasht as the colonel commandant of the independent brigade of Rasht.

 

One of the main events of late 1957 was the revealing of Qarani’s coup against the Shah while enjoying the support of the Americans. There is not much evidence related to this affair and the role played by the British. Apparently, American meddling saved him from severe punishment.

 

After his release from prison in 1960, he established close relations with the leaders of the second national front and the Iran’s Freedom Movement (Nehzat e Azadi Iran). He was arrested in 1963 with charges of having contacts with Ayatollah Taleqani and some Ulamas.

 

Since 1978, he showed sympathy towards anti regime officers. After the success of the revolution he became the chief of the general staff of the military. He had to reorganize an army with collapsed units and plundered arms and ammunitions. He had to restore order and peace in Kurdistan and resist against the ambitions of high ranking officers.

 

Eventually, due to disputes with Bazargan’s government on handling the affairs of Kurdistan, he was removed from his office and was assassinated by the Forqan terrorist group in his home. This group accused him of suppressing the causes of the Kurdish people.