During the revolutionary process, he was called "Ayatollah Ringo" and "Red Sheikh". In order to export Islamic revolution to other countries he and Mehdi Hashemi founded one of the earliest groups, the SATJA, in the spring of 1979. In December 1979 he organized a campaign to support and join the Palestinian militants, fighting in the Lebanese civil war. His activities in the SATJA caused conflicts with the government and he was forced to disband it.