Black Friday and its aftermath

Black Friday and its aftermath

A new prime minister, Jafar Sharif-Emami, was installed in late August and reversed some of the Shah's policies. Casinos were closed, the imperial calendar abolished, activity by political parties legalized — to no avail. By September, the nation was rapidly destabilizing, and major protests were becoming a regular occurrence. The Shah introduced martial law, and banned all demonstrations but on September 8 thousands of protesters gathered in Tehran. Security forces shot and killed dozens, in what became known as Black Friday.

The clerical leadership declared that "thousands have been massacred by Zionist troops,"^[96] but in retrospect it has been said that "the main casualty" of the shooting was "any hope for compromise" between the protest movement and the Shah's regime.^[97] The troops were actually ethnic Kurds who had been fired on by snipers, and post revolutionary tally by the Martyrs Foundation of people killed as a result of demonstrations throughout the city on that day found a total of 84 dead.^[98] In the mean time however, the appearance of government brutality alienated much of the rest of the Iranian people and the Shah's allies abroad.

By late summer 1978 the movement to overthrow had become "`viable` in the minds of many Iranians," boosting support that much more.^[99]A general strike in October resulted in the paralysis of the economy, with vital industries being shut down,^[91] "sealing the Shah's fate".^[100]By autumn popular support for the revolution was so powerful that those who still opposed it became reluctant to speak out,^[99] According to one source "victory may be dated to mid-November 1978."^[99] A military government headed by General Gholam Reza Azhari replaced conciliatory prime minister Sharif Emami.

Ayatollah Khomeini at Neauphle-le Chateau surrounded by journalists

In an attempt to weaken Ayatollah Khomeini's ability to communicate with his supporters, the Shah urged Iraq to deport Khomeini. The Iraqi government cooperated and on October 3, Khomeini left Iraq for Kuwait, but was refused entry. Three days later he left for Paris and took up residence in the suburb of Neauphle-le-Château. Though farther from Iran, telephone connections with the home country and access to the international press were far better than in Iraq.^[1

You Learn So Much about Yourself!

You learn so much about yourself when you run long distances. Especially when you push yourself! This may not mean further in distance, but faster, or a more challenging course.

When you really truly push yourself to a point where you want to stop, and keep going, it makes you stronger. You begin to believe that you can do anything.

That "Don't Quit" attitude carries over into everyday life.

Whenever you're faced with a situation where "Quitting" is an easy option, you are programmed to say "Not Me". You are in a mind set of “Quitting is not an option.”