Exploring Ehsan Tabari's Shifting Away from Marxism: From Speculation to Reality

One of the key figures of the communist movement in Iran was Ehsan Tabari. With his extensive expertise, he increased the credibility of the Tudeh Party of Iran and educated the younger members of the party in Marxist ideology. His contribution led to an increase in the party's following among intellectuals and workers. His deep faith and unwavering adherence to the party and the principles of Marxism were so unshakeable that there was no doubt about its eventual collapse. Nevertheless, it collapsed, and he confirmed this by writing about it. His assertion of religiosity cast doubt on his true intentions after his commitment to Marxism. How was it possible that someone who was a renowned theorist and a crucial figure in the party could so easily abandon the belief that he had held for almost half a century and which was at the core of his identity? This paper attempts to provide an adequate answer to the research question by examining his moral, partisan and political characteristics through the works and memoirs of his party friends - both those who support and those who oppose him - as well as through the texts of his interrogations from 1362š to 1364š. The results of the study indicate that Tabari pursued a tactic of opportunistic religiosity and used concealment (taqiye) as a means of protecting his faith and intellectual reticence, as he saw this as the only viable choice.