On the 19th August 1978, the popular Cinema Rex Theater in Abadan, Iran, was set on fire intentionally, which resulted in the horrific deaths of nearly 500 innocent Iranians. The four men responsible for this were Islamist militants with ties to Khoemini and MEK.
The event was used as a false flag against the government of Imperial Iran and the status of the Shah. This was the worst terrorist attack in history until the Sri Lanaka massacre in 1990.
The four men barricaded and locked all the doors and exits in the theater as the people were watching the movie The Deer. Dousing the hallway and atrium in petroleum and gas, a thrown ignited match set the interior on fire; leaving men, women, and children choking on fumes.
The rest were burned alive. Slowly. Painfully. Entire families at Cinema Rex were wiped out. Associates and anti-Shah editorials and news outlets in Iran falsely blamed SAVAK and government agents of causing the massacre.
The newspaper Kayhan was one of the leading creators of disinformation blaming the Shah and SAVAK. Ran by a certain Shariatmadari, a confident of Ali Khamenei, helped spread the false information further to unaware Iranians.
All further and future investigations of the Cinema Rex fire independent of the Regime have uniformly confirmed the Shah and his government not being involved. Since the mid 60s fire bombings and bombs have been the calling card of MEK and other militant Islamists radicals.
Incidents such as the Cinema Rex fire had happened in Qom, Shiraz, and other major cities as precedent of Islamist attacks. A figure connected to both Khomeini and Khamenei, Ayatollah Hamedani was linked as well as elements of the Ulema.
Addressing this: Shia radicalist groups had already despised the anti-hijab laws, promotion of arts, cinema, and radio works and plays in Iran since Reza Khan began his reforms. Ayatollah Lahouti even remarked the bombing of a Qom cinema was ordered by Khomeini's son, Ahmad.
Iranian intelligence and investigations further linked involvement of Khoemini and his allies; tracing the communication between the perpetrators to Najaf, Iraq. A place where the Ayatollahs and their Islamist fundamentalists had support with Shia extremists.
Several figures aligned with Khomeini and Khamenei would later become officials and top officers in the 'Islamic Republic' government such as Mousavi Tabrizi, Mohammad Alavi Tabar, Hamedani, etc...
In conclusion: disinformation is the most powerful tool one can use to alter and control the narrative of truth. In the final years of Pahlavi Iran, Islamists and their proxies utilized this while terrorizing the prople to oust the popular Shah from power sadly.
Even in the days of Mosaddegh, the former Prime Minister, who had links to Fayadan e Islam, another militant Islamist faction which assassinated Ramzara, to gain political power and clout.
It is no surprise that nepotism, regressive mindsets and thinking, and opposition to reform and change is a hallmark to these groups and individuals.
The Shahs of Pahlavi Iran wanted the best for Iran. The Ayatollahs and their allies do not.
The Shahs of Pahlavi Iran wanted the best for Iran. The Ayatollahs and their allies do not.
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