Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh) (Part 42)

2018-5-22

Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh) (Part 42)

Edited by: Mohsen Kazemi

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2002 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

Formation of Western Corps

In the early days of Islamic rule, not only the army had not been purged of traitors and counter-revolutionary forces, but also some groups came into conflict with the Islamic thought of the revolution. Hence, the risk of danger and erupting of a conspiracy was possible at any moment. Therefore, it was necessary to establish an organization to protect the revolution and its achievements. Thus, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed and a lot of meetings were held for its establishment. Martyr Mohammad Montazeri, Javad Mansouri, Abu Sharif [Abbas Agha Zamani], Danesh Monfared, Mohsen Rafiq Doost and Abbas Douzdouzani were among those who participated in these meetings; and of course there were people who were against the creation of such an organization, and in order to show their opposition, they made a series of actions.

Because I was abroad for a while and had been taught appropriate courses of military and passed combat training, and my revolutionary friends recognized this background and my presence alongside the fighters inside and outside the country, I was also called up to some of these military meetings. They were serious meetings with complicated discussions which sometimes lasted until midnight.

A council was held for setting up the corps. Most of its members were those whose names were mentioned above. Finally, after hours of negotiations and meetings, the IRGC was established in May 1979, and a brief statue was written and each of brothers took some responsibility, and Mr. Javad Mansouri[1] was elected as the first commander of IRGC. And after a while, I was commissioned to form the western corps by cooperation of Mr. Lahouti - the representative of Imam in the IRGC -, the late Samawati, and Mr. Mohammadzadeh.

After receiving the administrative order, we foursome moved toward Kermanshah. First Mr. Lahouti provided us a place at the guesthouse of the governor-general’s office, and we began to design and implement the initial plans and preliminaries.

We should select five people for the IRGC’s council in different regions by taking into account the circumstances and political conditions. To do this, we did secret research through various sources such as, the leader of the Friday prayers and Imams of mosques, the authorities of the committees or the people we knew or those who were introduced by the trustworthy friends. Those who were elected should have participated in ideological discussions in the later stage, and after we four as the members of central council of regional corps approved them, they were introduced.

In Päveh, we chose one of friends from Tehran as a commander, and he himself selected his staff. We almost did the same in Ilam. After establishing the IRGC in several cities, we should have decided more deliberately about Hamadan. The IRGC of Hamadan was considered as the headquarters of the West corps. And the corps of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Ilam provinces were under the control of the West corps. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Madani[2] suggested me: "You yourself take charge of the IRGC of Hamadan for the present, so we see what happens then." Mr. Mansouri, the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, also agreed. And I took a heavy responsibility.

After being assigned as the commander of Hamadan corps, different meetings were held, consultations were done, and planning began, and with a lot of consultations, we recruited about seventy people and allocated a responsibility to each of them. These passionate brothers were revolutionary and Muslim people of Hamadan city who had come to help sincerely the revolution with whatever they had.

I recall that one of those who had entered the IRGC in the very first days was martyr Samawati who had carpentry shop in bazaar, but he asked his errand-boys to do all works and he himself was in the corps full time. And he did not receive any salaries from the IRGC until the end.

We recruited some people for operations, research, administrative and personnel affairs, etc. We recruited some less experienced persons who quickly adapted to the situation and specialized in those fields. If anybody faced a problem that could not solve it immediately, they asked help from other brothers without any formalities. There was no matter what was responsibility, position, and degree, only sincerity was important and all things went by believing in God and in a revolutionary spirit. Indeed those days were divine days.

One of the most suitable areas for anti-revolutionary activities was in the western part of the country. Hence, the anti-revolution and ego-lost small groups began their hostility there from the first days of the victory of the revolution. This would increase our responsibility for dealing with damages and possible dangers. All the brothers were trying from morning to night to secure the region, and they paid a price in this way. But they achieved a worthy treasure which was the spirit of sacrifice, martyrdom, friendship and sincerity, and so on. They overcame each problem without any excuses and the slightest expectation in a completely friendly environment with limited facilities. From the west to the east and from the north to the south, in each corner of the city and also in the suburbs and around it, temporary post-stations or bases were built, so that the traffic on the roads, hideaways and bottlenecks to be controlled. Initially, due to the susceptibility and instability of the city, most of the nights I myself often selected those who should watch out the post-stations, and then I dropped in on them. Sometimes I was awake up to the morning Adhan and I personally went to visit the post-station in Hamadan–Tehran to the Hamadan–Kermanshah and ordered necessary instructions. Sometimes I went three times from this side of the city to the other side, and usually I had the opportunity to sleep and rest after the Morning Prayer until 8:00am. At 8 o'clock, I should go to do daily routines.

To be continued…