According to Estebsar Islamic revert world, Mr. Mohammad Massoud Dehdar from Sistan and Baluchestan province converted to Shiite Islam. We heard that his conversion to Shia Islam is tied to the Islamic Revolution.

Describe the process of your conversion to Shiite for us, please.

The Sunni definition of politics is to obey the ruler, whether he is corrupt or not. this definition means the approval of the oppressive rulers. Before the Islamic revolution of Iran, the rulers were oppressors. An example of the tyranny of the Shah of Iran was when 2500-year-old festivities were held and there were very detailed celebrations. At the same time, in our city Iranshahr, some people were dying due to lack of health. While the government had the ability and budget to fight the disease.

Imam Khomeini fought against such a regime and the Islamic revolution won. I have had a high interest in Imam Khomeini. I did not know when and why I fell in love with the Imam! but the interest in the Imam was institutionalized in me. I did a lot of research and inquiry, I read a lot; I studied a full course in the ideology of Marxism, slavery and capitalism during the socialist era.

Why did you not turn to materialist schools such as Marxism or other religions?

Ayatollah Motahhari said a beautiful sentence, “Doubt is a good stimulus, but it is a bad station”. Sometimes there was a doubt in my heart when I read these books because they told there is no God. I doubted and began to read the books Critique of Communism and Critique of Theories of Marxism. It was here that I discovered that there is a God.

Did a particular book help you along the way?

One day in my uncle’s library I picked up a book called The Nights of Peshawar, which was so fascinating to me that I finished it in a week. I had a strange suspicion and was curious to read other books. My friends gave me more books on the subject. I was just waiting to find a scholar and discuss with him and ask him about my doubts. I got a lot of information this way. It was around 1967 and 1968I and I was a student at the time. I had almost logically realized that the Shiites were right, but it was as if I was waiting for a dream or something to say Shiites were right.

When did you make your final decision to convert to Shia Islam?

On June 4, 1989, I heard Imam Khomeini say, “Forgive me, and pray for me.” The next day, in the student dormitory, after the morning prayer, I turned on the radio and listened to the Qur’an. At seven o’clock, the man announced that Imam Khomeini had passed away. I cried so loudly that my friends woke up. Since then, my heart became strong that Shias are right. In fact, the death of the Imam motivated me officially to become a Shia in 1968, and to renounce my religion. But I hid it from others. In Ramadan month, I announced to all, and instead of going home, I decided to go to my uncle’s house.