About “returning to the point of freedom”

Reminiscence with all the details

Elham Saleh
Translated by Fazel Shirzad

2016-7-3

For some years, we have decided to publish the memories of those who defended the borders of Iran during the war. Collecting memories of this group shaped "oral history” of Sacred Defense. In the meantime, it was occurred that some of the memories have been forgotten and many of them have been paled. However, you're never too old to change your ways. The formation of "Oral History" can keep the memories in the passage of time. The book "returning to the point of freedom”^* is also one of the books published in this field to be as a narrator of memories "Ali Najd Bagheri".

Childhood and mischief, adulthood and seeking forgiveness

The book starts with childish mischief; picking up figs from the top of neighbor’s tree, arguing with peers, escaping from school for swimming, habit of biting in childhood age. The narrator tells all of them patiently, but childhood ends with all mischief. After the revolution, it was turn of explanation for post-revolutionary conditions in Rasht city. Najd Bagheri speaks about this period of time well: "Haj Agha Ehsanbakhsh took responsibility for centrality of this process by forming a committee. He was along with some friends such as Mahmoud Gholipour and Ali Hooshyari who passed the Military Training and opened Rasht Committee in Pirsara at former Standard Home whose name was Doctor Sam. According to the measures, he sent representatives to the barracks and military centers and and police forces to keep weapons to go out of the barracks. On the other hand, since foundation of the Police Headquarters and the government system was disrupted and it was possible that people would be threaten by dangers, it was reasoned that weapons should be given to trustworthy persons of each places to keep from theft, loot and murder, and should not be used for personal targets and revenges”.

In the beginning of the revolution, the young people who were interested in revolutionary activities, were members of the Islamic Revolution's Committee, received weapon G3, Uzi, M1 and Brno to participate in the mission. Najd Bagheri was also taught at operation unit when he joined to army. In those days, he sought forgiveness of different people for his past mischief.

From Islamic Revolution to Sacred Defense

The narrator of the book passes through conflicts during the revolution simply and explains these conflicts such as conflict in Anzali and Kurdistan.

Eight years of Sacred Defense and fighting in the frontage of war also includes most parts of the book. Najd Bagheri explains capture of 9 persons of Iraqi forces in one of the memories. “When I step inside, I looked to my left side and saw that there were two rooms and an Iraqi smokes near to window. In one moment that he turned his head and saw me and cried out: “Soldiers of Khomeini! Soldiers of Khomeini! "I did not take my time and run for fifteen meters to room quickly and I went into the room. When he has screamed, the rest of Iraqi soldiers went for their guns. When they have not taken their gun yet, I arrived on them. I forced them to give up by some words such as “Stop!” and “Give you up!” and I captured nine of them who two were injured.  

The book “returning to the point of freedom” is not just about accidents, but the narrator also speaks about the measures of fighting; “I said: put your gun on fence and wear helmet, and each person, who has a RPG, shot it and, who has machine gun, fire it and show you are there!. By doing this, the enemy supposed we were going to attack and it led us up to attack. I needed to do it, otherwise the morale of our soldiers remained inactive. This is one of the measures to combat that commander raise his soldiers´ fighting and jihad motivation somehow.

This book is started with childish mischief of narrator and ended with retirement of Najd Bagheri from Resistance Forces in final chapter.

Rasht as it was

The book “returning to the point of freedom” is not just oral history of revolutionary struggles and Sacred Defense, but developmental changes in prosperity of some districts in the city of Rasht can be also realized; “Takhti Street was not as today. It was a narrow passage that there were houses around it. Houses were destroyed and made street. When the street were making, some big pipes was brought there for sewage that these were called "Gang”. These were places for children to play and the narrator was one of these children.

Lifestyle in those days is spoken well according to precise memory of the narrator. “Water wells of district Sarkhabandeh has not fresh water to drink. The people carried water by using horse, cart and pitcher from fountains of village Chomarsara. Its owner was called “Sagha” who was a man gave to people fifteen round tin ticket (token) which valued one Real. When he gave one pitcher of water, he would receive one of tickets. When cost of pitcher was as amount of fifteen tickets, he should pay the cost of water to owner of house and then he would be received fifteen tickets again until next turn.”

40 Chapters

The book “returning to the point of freedom” has a very important feature; the narrator describes the events so that the readers want to walk along with events. Najd Bagheri has a good memory and pleasurable memories. The good memory of narrator allows him to write in detail and his speech also attracts addressees. If we divide the book into two chapters, 20 chapters of 40 chapters that are devoted to family and childhood, are more attractive.

This book states events from before the Islamic Revolution to the end of the Iraqi imposed war against Iran. The part "index" facilitates for addressees to find the words, and part “images” that are also devoted for 38 pages of book, is consisted of an album of narrator’s photos and his comrades.

*Oral history of Sacred Defense Soldiers / 4; returning to the point of freedom: Oral history of Najd Ali Bagheri, interviewer and editor: Miremad al-Din Fayyaz, 412 pages, first edition: 1394, Tehran, Gilan Art Institute of Culture and Stability Studies and Sureh Mehr Publications.