Book Review
Kak-e Khak
Mahya Hafezi
Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan
2024-2-27
The book “Kak-e Khak” is the narration of Mohammad Reza Ahmadi (Haj Habib), a commander in Kurdistan fronts. It has been published by Sarv-e Sorkh Publications[1] in 500 copies in spring of 1400 (2022) and in 574 pages.
Fatemeh Ghanbari has edited the book and the interview was conducted with the cooperation of Hossein Zahmatkesh. On the cover of the book in khaki color, a young picture of Haj Habib can be seen in uniform, leaning on an IRGC Toyota car.
Kak-e Khak has three chapters, attached by the last chapter, which includes Haj Habib's final words. After that, the names and information of the martyrs of Kurdistan has been published in the first attachment, and the documents and photos of this commander can be seen in the second attachment.
Kak means brother, and khak means the soil of martyrs. The first chapter of the book deals with the memories of the narrator's childhood and adolescence in his birthplace, Babolsar. He was born in 1346 (1967) and is the second child of a religious family. He has 3 sisters and 3 brothers. In this chapter, the narrator's memories go from childish games and his grandmother’s description to Muharram, Nowruz and the school. The first chapter ends with the memory of the crown prince's birthday feast at school.
In the second chapter, the pre-revolution events are added gradually to the memories of Mohammad Reza and elementary school. The narrator's place of residence has changed and the events in front of the university on the way to school make him curious. He describes the students' sit-in and strike and says that this scene was constantly repeated from 1356 (1977) onwards. Seyed Hossein Zabihpour, the narrator’s maternal uncle, had a history of fighting against the Pahlavi government and distribution of the Imam's books in the village. The uncle, who notices Mohammad Reza's curiosity, gives him the magazine "Imam’s Bloody Uprising" to read. On the other hand, he accidentally sees the Imam's leaflet on his teacher's desk, and the narrator's memories in this section continue until the distribution of the leaflets and his arrest by Savak.
A 10-year-old child, who was released with the mediation of the lord, takes part in the rallies. Then, it is the turn of the post-revolution memories. Despite failing in the first grade of middle school, the narrator continues his propaganda revolutionary activities and becomes a member of the Basij force.
The book’s third chapter begins with his memories about entering the training garrison of Muhammad Rasulullah (SAWA) in Kurdistan in 1359 (1980). According to the narrator, he made familiar with good people. When he was sitting next to the door of the garrison, a kind person introduced him to the training garrison: "The commander of the IRGC in Kurdistan, Mohammad Boroujerdi had introduced me directly to him and I still didn’t know the name of my savior" (p. 146).
After completing the training course, Mohammad Reza goes to IRGC Headquarters in Marivan at the beginning of the war. At that time, Haj Ahmad Moetevaselian was IRGC commander in Marivan. In continuation, he tells about the memories of operations, martyrdom of friends and marriage. Then, he explains how his leg was injured which eventually led to its amputation. This section has also been printed on the back cover of the book. When Marivan was bombed, they were in the car with Mr. Shirvani...
"I didn't have the strength to get out of the car. Mr. Shirvani came, hugged me and took me outside. Apparently, before the bombing, he was performing ablution and was going to dry his face with a towel. He tied the same Keffiyeh tightly around my thigh and said: "Today this Keffiyeh was given to you." I looked down and saw that a shrapnel has hit my left ankle and destroyed it..." (p. 417)
The last chapter, three pages, is about returning to Mazandaran and cooperation with the governorate. This memorable book ends with the names of martyrs of Kurdistan and photos of Haj Habib. Given the title of oral history on the book, it seems that we have missed the editor's introduction and index (names of operations, places, etc.); but special attention has been paid to illustration in editing. It would have been better if the editor had mentioned the time of the interview, the number of meetings and the number of hours of the interview in a short introduction.
[1] Sarv-e Sorkh Publications affiliated to the General Office of Preservation and Dissemination of Sacred Defense Values in Mazandaran Province
Number of Visits: 3827
The latest
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 35
- Rahim Afshar's Memories
- The Story of the First Sacred Defense Book Award
- Oral History and Social Resilience in Hard Times
- 100 Questions/ 34
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 34
- A Review of Scientific and Operational Strategies for Overcoming the Erosion of Narrators’ Memory
- 100 Questions/ 33
Most visited
- Expert Panel Session on Oral History of the Country – (Part 2)
- 100 Questions/ 33
- Memoirs of Ahmad Nabavi
- A Review of Scientific and Operational Strategies for Overcoming the Erosion of Narrators’ Memory
- Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 34
- 100 Questions/ 34
- Oral History and Social Resilience in Hard Times
- The Story of the First Sacred Defense Book Award
Validation: Challenges and Necessities
Where does truth stand in oral history? How can the correctness of a narrative be recognized? Does fact-checking matter? If there is exaggeration in the reporting of some accounts, how can it be detected? Is it possible to record an event accurately through the recording of a narrative? Readers and users of oral history works are often faced with these questions, and sometimes encounter doubts about some oral history works.From Revolutionary Circles to the Military Arm of the Islamic Government
In those days, it became clear that certain institutions had to be established very quickly—institutions suited to the temperament, expectations, and lingering aspirations of the younger generation; young people who had been politically active before the Revolution and, in some cases, had been directly entangled in arrests, imprisonment, ...Authenticating Oral History: From Possibility to Necessity
The use of oral history as one of the historical sources has long been one of the principal challenges facing oral historians and those who employ it in contemporary historiography. The development of international standards for oral history, as well as IRIB standards, was intended to address the criticisms raised in this regard. The relationship between Diplomatics in written records and oral history is reciprocal.100 Questions/27
What is the place of research ethics in compiling oral history?We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week.
