A Section of the Memories of Khuzestan Fighting Women during the Eight Years of Holy Defense

Narrator: Hamida Moradian - Ahvaz 1986

Compiled by: Faezeh Sasanikhah
Translated by: Fazel Shirzad

2024-3-21

Base of Martyr Alam Al-Hadi

Every year, a few days before Eid [New Year], my mother along with my grandmother and grandfather and a group of women and men would go to Ahvaz, the base of martyr Alam Elhadi. The men washed blankets and boots, and the women washed the clothes and sheets of the warriors.

That year, my mother took me with her, who was not yet ten years old. Women used to wash dishes and clothes from 8:00 a.m. until midday call to prayer and again after prayer and lunch until near evening prayer. I would lift the buckets in which the ladies put their laundry, even though they were very heavy, but with all my strength, I would give them to those who were responsible for drawing water at the big pond, and then I would return. The ladies called me "Little Soldier" and anyone who needed soap, Tide and detergent would tell me to get it for them.

One day, when everyone was washing clothes, I was also doing my mission. Iraqi radio announced that it would bomb the city and gave people a deadline to leave the city.

Mrs. Movahed, the head of the sisters of martyr Alam Al-Hadi's base, came among the women and said with her passion: "Sisters!" Don't be tired, all of you will be rewarded with Hazrat Zahra (PBUH).

Then she continued: Today we need some dedicated warriors to go to the minefield, all the ladies looked at each other. The commotion got up; Minefield...?

The women said to each other: Are they taking the sisters to the minefield? Mrs. Movahed asked again decisively: Who is willing to go to the minefield?

The 18 and 19-year-old girls left without asking questions and stood next to Mrs. Movahed, and with this act, they declared their readiness.

Mrs. Movahed put her hands on their heads and said: No, you are too young.

The girls said: But we are ready to dedicate our lives to Islam.

Ms. Movahed lined them up next to Joe who was in the yard and said to the woman who was in charge of the mine field: Bring the sacks.

They immediately put some sacks aside and opened the sacks, everyone was waiting to see what the mine was. But the mini was not clear yet. Some of the women who brought the sacks took the bottom of the sacks and emptied their contents next to the stream. The clothes were soaked in the blood of the fighters, and the marks of bullets and mortars were clearly visible on the chest, waist and thighs of the clothes.

The most heartbreaking thing is that pieces of the soldiers' flesh and bones were also seen among those clothes. Seeing this scene, all the women cried in unison.

The young men who were prepared to go to the minefield opened the water hoses and put them on the bloody clothes, the stream of blood flowed, and at this time everyone was in a spiritual state. While the women were washing the warriors' clothes, their tears were pouring into the basin. My grandmother, who was washing clothes every day, used to tell the women about religious principle. When he saw the spiritual state of the sisters, he began to recite the prayer of supplication, this had created a strange excitement among the women and gave them new energy to work. Then they would quickly empty the bucket of clothes that had been washed, and then it would be filled again, while they were washing clothes, they would mumble prayers under their breath, and when their prayers reached to end, the voices would get louder and they would repeat them regularly. When the name of Hazrat Zahra (PBUH) arrived, everyone was burning and praying from their hearts.

My grandmother used to swear to Hazrat Zahra (PBUH) on her broken side to come to the aid of the fighters of Islam. At this moment, something happened that no one could deny, and it was a pleasant smell that reached everyone's ears and filled the area. Although everyone was surprised, this sweet smell was exactly from the bloody clothes of the warriors.[1]