The late Ayatollah Motaheri (1920-1979):

  1. Labelled ancient Iranian customs such as Chaharshanbe Soori (Zoroastrian custom of jumping over bonfires before the Iranian New year),  Nowruz (Iranian New Year) and Seezdah Bedar (ancient custom of celebrating the 13th day of the Iranian New Year with outings and picnics) as “documents of stupidity” and “symbol of idiots“. 
  2. Called Iranians who celebrate ancient Iranian customs as “idiots” engaged in “foolishness“. 
  3. Called the parents of Iranians who encouraged celebrating ancient customs as “Families of idiots” and “idiot mothers and fathers“.

Video of Ayatoallah Motahari insulting ancient Iran and Iranians who respect ancient Iranian customs.

The late Ayatollah Motahari who had a profound dislike of ancient Iran, ancient Iranian customs. He also ridiculed Iranians who respect their ancient heritage.

Motahari was very specific in his open dislike of ancient Iran. His views were wholly consistnet with the Muslim Brotherhood’s pan-Arabo/Islamic and anti-Iranian/anti-Indian/anti-Western/anti-Semetic philosophy.

Below is an excerpt which expostulates Motahari’s Persophobic views against Iran’s ancient pre-Islamic heritage (note his visceral dislike of the poet Firdowsi who sought to revive the Persian language in the post-Islamic era):

“Reviving ancient Persian words is to turn one’s back against the Koran. There was a committee and organization working with the Ministry of Culture which did its utmost to remove Arabic words and destroy Islam.  At in the Office of Farhangestan behind Sepahsalar school they took the consumed and took the wealth of the people. The changed the name of Ghabrestan

[graveyard – Ghabr is Arabic in origin] to Goorestan [graveyard – Goor is Persian for grave], Ejtemaa [Arabic for gathering/meeting; also “society”] to Gerd-Hamayi [Persian for gathering/meeting], Jumaa [Arabic for Friday] to Adineh [Persian for Friday], vasa-el ertebat e Jami [Arabic origin term for vehicles/devices for mass communication] to Resanehaye Gorouhi [Persian origin term for vehicles/devices for mass communication]…all of this noise for Firdowsi, celebrating his millenium mark, building him a mausoleum and inviting foreigners from all countries to give them copies of the Shahname, acknowledging and promoting this empty-handed vicious man is for what? …Advertising for Firdowsi and the Shahname is advertising against Islam! Firdowsi and his Fairy-tale Shahname which is a book of poetry (meaning fantasies and poetic thoughts) tried to raise Falsehood against the Koran; confusion/doubt [موهومی‌]  against certainty [یقین‌] …God gave him what he [Firdowsi] deserved in life and of his hereafter we do not know…He [Firdowsi] admitted “Thus I suffered in these thrity years – I quickened/bought to life the Ajam [non-Arab] with this Parsi – as they lost my treasure – there was no reward/compensation for my labours/efforts”.

Source: Noor ol Mollok Koran/Ghor-an (Ayatollah Motahari), Fourth edition, Part six (see picture of book cover further below).

Original Persian text below:

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زنده‌ کردن‌ لغات‌ فارسی‌ باستانی‌، برگشت‌ از تعالیم‌ قرآن‌ است. انجمن‌ و مؤسّسه‌ای‌ بود برای‌ این‌ امور که‌ با وزارت‌ معارف‌ و فرهنگ‌ رابطه‌ داشت‌؛ و برای‌ از بین‌ بردن‌ لغات‌ عربی‌ و فرهنگ‌ اسلام‌ نهایت‌ سعی‌ و کوشش‌ را داشتند. و در اداره‌ی فرهنگستانی‌ که‌ پشت‌ مدرسه‌ی سپهسالار بود، برای‌ این‌ موضوع‌ مال‌‌ ملّت‌ بیچاره‌ را می‌خوردند و می‌بردند. نام‌  قبرستان‌ را گورستان‌، و اجتماع‌ را گردهمایی‌، و جمعه‌ را آدینه‌، و وسائل‌ ارتباط‌ جمعی‌ را رسانه‌های‌ گروهی‌، … این همه‌ سر و صدا برای‌ عظمت‌ فردوسی‌، و جشنواره‌ و هزاره‌ و ساختن‌ مقبره‌، و دعوت‌ خارجیان‌ از تمام‌ کشورها برای‌ احیاء شاهنامه‌، و تجلیل‌ و تکریم‌ از این‌ مرد خاسر زیان‌ بُرده‌ی تهیدست‌ برای‌ چیست‌؟!  …تبلیغات‌ برای‌ فردوسی‌ و شاهنامه‌، تبلیغات‌ علیه‌ اسلام‌ است‌. فردوسی‌ با شاهنامه‌ی افسانه‌ای‌ خود که‌ کتاب‌ شعر (یعنی‌ تخیلات‌ و پندارهای‌ شاعرانه‌) است‌ خواست‌ باطلی‌ را در مقابل‌ قرآن‌ عَلم‌ کند؛ و موهومی‌ را در برابر یقین‌ برسر پا دارد. خداوند وی‌ را به‌ جزای‌ خودش‌ در دنیا رسانید و از عاقبتش‌ در آخرت‌ خبر نداریم‌. خودش‌ می‌گوید: بسی‌ رنج‌ بردم‌ در این‌ سال‌ سی /  عجم‌ زنده‌ کردم‌ بدین‌ پارسی‌ / چو از دست‌ دادند گنج‌ مرا / نبد حاصلی‌ دسترنج‌ مرا/

برگرفته از کتاب ِ نور ِ ملکوت ِ قرآن – تالیف آیت الله مُطهّری/ جلد چهارم / بخش ِ ششم

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The Noor ol Mollok Koran/Ghor-an [نور ِ ملکوت ِ قرآن] which provides a full view of the late Ayatollah Motahari’s anti-Iranian and Persophobic views.