307 Chapter 40 Fulbright Scholarship and 6 More Years in Iran the Plane
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Chapter 40 Fulbright Scholarship and 6 More Years in Iran The plane purred onward as Kurosh laid back in a daze reminiscing about his visit with Apostle Richards followed by his trip to Tehran for his Fulbright-funded research. Back in Salt Lake, Kurosh had prepared for his flight, first to Washington D.C. where he planned to meet the Fulbright people and thank them, then to New York where he planned to visit his former agent Jay and thank him one last time for everything. The flight was a bit tedious because in 1969 people fiendishly smoked on planes and Kurosh became very nauseated by tobacco smoke since he had quit smoking so violently. Even the so-called non-smoking seats were still in a blue-brown mist from toxic tobacco fumes. Finally they arrived in D.C. and Kurosh visited the Fulbright headquarters and a couple of other government offices. He mentioned that he was going to Iran to show the good side of America (as if there was such a thing) and improve relations. His statement got back to Mostofi who later chastised him for boasting. But after Kurosh became active in Tehran and started his weekly prime-time television show, an important government official in Tehran wrote a letter to Mostofi thanking him for sending Kurosh over there noting that he was the best thing for Iranian-American relations. That’s really weird since Kurosh was an ex-patriot non-patriot and very bitter about his many bad experiences with the U.S. Later Ambassador and former CIA director Helms reiterated that Kurosh had been very helpful especially in working on the Fourth of July TV production. On one of Kurosh’s trips back, Mostofi showed him a copy of the letter and thanked him for his good work but wondered when he would be coming back to finish his PhD. Kurosh didn’t want to disappoint his faithful supporter; so he didn’t admit that he was planning to stay in Tehran because there was no hope for him to ever have a life in the States. After his stop off in D.C., Kurosh visited shortly with his agent Jay Hoffman in New York then flew off to Paris where his old bandleader and friend Jef Gilson had pre-arranged a recording session with an unusual bass clarinetist. They spent a whole afternoon and evening late into the night recording some of the weirdest ‘music’ Kurosh had ever played. It was even stranger than free jazz and it wasn’t anything that Kurosh would want anyone to ever hear. It was too goofy for human ears. But Kurosh was happy to see his old friend Jeff again after 6 years. In Paris, Kurosh visited the Maison d’Iran to meet Dr. Mehdi Bushehri, a positive pleasant gentleman who was important in the Iranian hierarchy. Dr. Bushehri was very cordial and hospitable promising that he would put in a good word for Kurosh in Tehran. Kurosh also visited Madame Nelly Caron at the Centre de Études de Musique Orientale and learned that his beloved master Daryush Safvat had become director of a new center in Tehran that was engaged in preserving and propagating traditional classical Iranian music. Kurosh decided that his mission would be to help Dr. Safvat build up his center and aid in the task of preserving true tradition in any way possible. On the long flight to Tehran, again Kurosh choked on smoke and tried to imagine what he would find in Tehran after not having been there for over a decade. His mother’s friend Homa Ashraf was to meet him at Tehran airport and take him to her empty apartment building where she said he could stay for a while until he found something else. Homa met Kurosh and, on the way to her apartment building, she discussed his staying there while in Iran. She said that she was keeping the building until the price doubled or tripled so she could make a profit on the sale. Kurosh said that he couldn’t just stay there without paying anything. She countered that he would be watching it and keeping it safe for her which was better than paying rent. Their taxi drove into Tehran then turned up Pahlevi Avenue towards Shimran. Homa explained that her building was in northern Amirabad, a pleasant section of 307 © 2007 Lloyd Clifton Miller town, except for the prison across from the apartment. The taxi turned left on Entesarie Avenue which veered off at an angle from Pahlevi Avenue. Soon they pulled up in front of number 51 where Homa opened the door and showed him the huge ground floor apartment, then the large second floor and finally the smaller top floor apartment. She suggested that Kurosh take the top apartment in case she found another renter for the other floors. It was a nice accommodation with a large living room, even big enough for rehearsals if needed. It had a clean bathroom, a shower and a kitchen with a fridge and stove. The heating was by a bokhari or kerosene stove and the kerosene, Homa explained, could be purchased at the nearby little corner shop downstairs along with groceries, soap and other necessities. Kurosh thanked Homa profusely and forced $75 into her hesitant hand noting that he realized it was worth twice that much a month but, since she had refused to accept anything, would she please allow this paltry pittance to make him feel less guilty. She finally agreed not to force the money back into his hand as he closed her fingers around the bills and gave her an appreciative hug. How often had Kurosh’s parents been beneficial throughout his life even if they had been somewhat unfamiliar with and unexcited about the parenting process during his early days due to their insane incessant social climbing. After Homa left, Kurosh went to the corner store and asked about busses. Officially Adopting Shi’a Islam Kurosh soon became friends with the helpful grocer who eventually took him to the local mosque for prayers. The grocer had asked Kurosh if he believed that Mohammad was a prophet to which Kurosh responded in Farsi “hatman (of course).” He believed from reading the Koran and also from several statements by LDS leaders declaring that Mohammad was sent by God. Added to that was God’s own statement in the Book of Mormon in Third Nephi that He had spoken to all nations and that they would write His words. Then when the grocer asked if Kurosh believed that there was no God but God, Kurosh confirmed that of course he did; the Old Testament and all the scriptures affirmed that fact. Then when the grocer asked if Kurosh believed in Ali, Hassan and Hossein, Kurosh confirmed that he did because, in his own religion, leaders and many others had been martyred by the wicked Americans. The grocer introduced Kurosh to the mullah at the mosque and Kurosh testified “ashh adu ana laillaha-ilallah, ashhadu ana Mohammad arrasullullah va allahhu akbar. ” The mullah kindly smiled and said “pas qabul e, Mosalman id (then its accepted, you are a Moslem).” Kurosh didn’t see why he couldn’t be a Moslem and still be a Mormon with his understanding of the reason for the two different perceptions about the role of Jesus. He knew that those variances of opinion would soon be resolved when Jesus returns, an event which both religions fervently believed would soon occur. He also knew that Islam was being protected against total apostasy by not having accepted Roman Christian concepts which had become almost pure paganism in so-called ‘Christianity.’ By having God, Mary and Jesus replace the ancient evil trinity of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz, which had been transferred from Babylon to Greece and Rome, the Romans were able to corrupt the whole western world. Original monotheism indicated the true order of things, even if it was twisted by the Jews and Christians; so eventually Islam was sent to restore those basic truths. When Kurosh and the grocer returned to Amirabad after prayers, the grocer informed his assistant and a few customers that Kurosh had been accepted into Islam and eventually the word got around the quarter that Kurosh was momen (a believer; sort of sounded like ‘Mormon’) and a good (trying to be) Moslem. He was already living by very strict rules from his LDS principles. From the corner store, Kurosh was advised that many big busses continually traveled down Pahlevi Avenue; so he decided to walk there and learn more about the neighborhood. He had been given the address of the Markaz-e Hefz o Eshae-ye Musiqi-ye Irani (Center for Preservation and 308 © 2007 Lloyd Clifton Miller Propagation of Iranian Music) and figured that with the help of bus drivers and friendly Iranians on the street, he would easily find it. He quickly got used to the paper toman bills and rial coins when he had exchanged dollars at the airport and, after a couple of bus rides, he eventually found his way to Dr. Safvat’s office at the National Television. He enjoyed being out with the people, but realized that soon he would have to find some kind of old cheap car to be able to have the necessary mobility. He eventually found an old, semi-reliable Ford Taunus which often needed mechanical assistance. The Center for Preservation and Propagation of Iranian Music Kurosh entered the building which housed the Center and was greeted by the young man who was something like a concierge.