Part-5: “The 12th Conference of Oral History of Iran”

Be Venturesome for Pathology of Sacred Defense Oral History

Maryam Asadi Jafari
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2020-2-25

Dr. Ali Akbar Jafari, a member of board of the 12^th conference of Iranian Oral History, stated: "Students and scholars intending to enter this field must distinguish between these two definitions. The second point is pathology of oral history of the sacred defense. Be venturesome. Many books have been produced in this field. According to available information, more than 400 oral history books in field of the sacred defense are published within a year. In field of oral historiography, we're not at the beginning, but we have a long way to go.”

According to Oral History Website, "The 12^th Conference of Iranian Oral History" aimed at "Explaining Relation and Necessity, Recognizing the Role and Recovery of Oral History Priorities in the Field of Jahad-e Sazandegi, Industry, Engineering, and Logistic in Sacred Defense", was held by Oral History Association of Iran, University of Isfahan, Administration of Veteran Affairs of Ministry of Agricultural Jahad and Isfahan Steel Company in Saeb Hall of Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan on December 18, 2019.

“Alireza Kamari”, “Dr. Ali Tatari”, and “Dr. Ali Akbar Jafari”, board of the meeting, participated also in final part of the conference. Safoura Soleimani presented the third article in this section entitled "Investigating Performance of Isfahan Logistic Headquarters in the Imposed War of Iraq on Iran": "This article was researched and compiled with focusing on Shahid Beheshti Caravan Headquarters undertook by the late Hajj Mostafa Badr and Vahdat Caravan managed by Hajj Hasan Goharian. Several thousands of sheets of documents and interviews have been also used. Let’s first examine the situation in Iran at the beginning of the revolution. We face a country that there has been just a revolution and is being boycotted by blocs of East and West, and nationwide is rebel. The army is collapsed and needs popular forces to be on the scene. People of Isfahan participated in two main areas during the war. First, two divisions of the 14^th Imam Hossein Division and the 8^th Najaf Ashraf Division, including fully volunteer forces, were sent to the front. Isfahan is the only province, after Tehran, that sends two divisions to the front. These two divisions should be provided by people of Isfahan themselves, and Hajj Mostafa Badr began working in the Front and War Support Staff through his acquaintance with Dr. Beheshti before the revolution. Since its inception, he was responsible for resettlement of the war-torn and serving Ajam of Iraq in Isfahan. It should be noted that Isfahani women, led by the deceased Ms. Yazdanpanah and other women, go to the front and find that much of Isfahan's aid is depot and are spoiled. They come to Isfahan, and after informing come to the conclusion that they need a much wider organization to serving the war. Hajj Mostafa Badr says 9 people must work behind the front so that one can fight on the front and this has been confirmed by all experts. Hajj Mostafa Badr begins to operate in the back of the front and forms Shahid Beheshti Caravan. The caravan carried Isfahan people's aid 72 times to the front, and these activities are seen in the press during the eight years of war. I checked a period of time and there was no day when there was no news about activities of Shahid Beheshti Caravan in Isfahan or national newspapers. The second caravan is Vahdat Caravan led by Hajj Hasan Goharian. The two caravans were at first one, which later decided to separate because of extent of their activity. These were Isfahan confectionery guild, and they manage other Isfahan guilds too. In addition to collecting cash assistance from Isfahan people, activities of Vahdat Caravan included non-cash donations. For example, it has been often seen in the documents that different guilds of Isfahan enter the front by organizing Vahdat Caravan and Hajj Hasan Goharian; Including car-related guilds that, under sanctions, build many of the tools themselves and contribute greatly to the war economy. We also have cultural support in Isfahan. Calligraphers and choirs were sent to the front to produce content so that each one help in a way that can. Women of Isfahan worked in a large sewing, knitting and sewing workshop at University of Isfahan. Even some of them were employees of University of Isfahan. Thousands of Isfahani women worked in the workshop, and Vahdat and Shahid Beheshti caravans sent their fruits to the war fronts. The other women would go to the front and report on the front situation and then broadcast these films to people in Isfahan, encouraging people to help. Isfahani people donated 6kg of gold to the front in one time and Hajj Mostafa Badr deliver them to the president. Documents for this material are available."

The last article of the 12^th Conference of Iranian Oral History was presented by Masoumeh Goudarzi entitled "Investigating and Analyzing Performance of Isfahan Regional Water Authority During 8 Years of Holy Defense; Relying on Oral History, Documents and Governmental Reports": This Article is a very short abstract of the documents belong to Isfahan Regional Water Authority. The content of our work was initially a bunch of documents with a number of interviews. Some of these interviews and documents were used for this article, and the remainder are kept to be conducted in a research project led by Dr. Morteza Nouraei. This research has been analyzed based on documents, government written reports and active oral history interviews. Providing material and spiritual strength and manpower in the war zones and rears was one of the most important issues during years of the holy defense that people of Isfahan, like other compatriots, shone well in this field and left a good reputation. But part of manpower and material needs of the war were provided by governmental employees and private organizations. Naturally, their presence in the war had implications for the warrior family, and some organizations, such as Isfahan Regional Water, paid attention to this and even played an important and effective role in serving needs of the warrior families. Isfahan Regional Water Authority has considered resolving needs and problems of families of the warriors as far as possible. Interestingly, among the studied documents, in addition to helping family of warriors, we found receipts that even pioneered for preparing dowry for the warrior’s sister. Isfahan Regional Water Authority, as a specialized technical organization, in addition to its organizational task of supplying people with drinking water, was present in critical situations of the war for technical-engineering services and supporting combat engineering on the war fronts, and also played role effectively behind the front. I have divided these support into three categories. I will first address material support of Regional Water Authority. Along with spontaneous movement of people in the battlefields, the Propaganda Organization of War to revelation covert targets of Iranian enemies, counteracting the enemy's cultural-military weapons and further strengthening the battlefields, issued a circular about holding 24 hours course camp focusing on training, educational, and developmental programs for all governmental and non-governmental organizations. Isfahan Regional Water Authority was one of the organizations that participated in the plan and organized these camps. According to the documents and interviews, the first multi-day camp was organized by the organization on June 3, 1981 and continued intermittently. Goals of the camps were to foster Islamic ideology, to educate according to Hossein teachings, to analyze domestic and foreign events, to review political-socio-cultural books. Because at the same time, books were published that targeted people's opinions, and one of the things that was done in these camps was to review political books. Develop and implement development, service and production programs, and training first medical aids, first paramedic aids, as well as assisting the war-torn and the war homeless persons, strengthening sports groups, theater, film, playwriting, and writing groups, stimulating national-religious sentiments, and introducing audiences with a spirit of sacrifice, veterans and defenders of the country were among other tasks of Isfahan Regional Water Authority in these camps. Forming support groups to strengthen the rear, dispatching engineers and specialists to activate war-damaged workshops and factories, training and deploying troops to rebuild the war zones was another part of Isfahan Regional Water Authority. According to the studied documents, non-cash and valuable assistance was given by the Office. A table showing 6 stages of assistance from 1980 to 1988. Other donations from the people include donating light and heavy machinery to the fronts. What was described was part of the material and hardware support of Isfahan Regional Water Authority during the holy defense. The most important factor in presence of the warriors in battlefields was to strengthen and rebuild spirit of sacrifice and prowess of the warriors and their families. Therefore, staff of Isfahan Regional Water Authority had frequent visits with families of the warriors and did not hesitate to provide material and spiritual assistance to these families. Individually and in group visited to the wounded and their families resulted in greater empathy, strengthening aspiration, idealism, confidence, and resistance of the warriors against the enemy. In this article, a table includes visits to families of martyrs and the war wounded, addressing problems of warrior families, holding special ceremonies of the war, visiting war zones, welcoming and convoying warriors, funerals of martyrs of Isfahan, dispatching regular and specialized forces, and donating blood has been provided. Is. According to studied reports from Isfahan Regional Water Authority, the organization had several martyrs, such as Abolghasem Chavoshi, Mr. Fadaei, Maktubian, and a number of wounded and even freed people, who, unfortunately, were not ready to interview for some reasons. Activities of Isfahan Regional Water Authority continued at the back of the front, and military and material support of Isfahan Regional Water Authority was not limited only to the south and west fronts and front lines. Based on administrative records between Secretariat of War Headquarter and logistic of War Headquarter of Regional Water Bureau, on 1987/03/03 they started to build shelters for 750 students of Isfahan School Safoura. Due to increasing volume of air bombardment during the final years of the war, schools and offices began to build shelters. Regardless of any prejudice, formation of the Martyrs and Commanders Congress and holding conferences of the sacred defense is an important thing that can be an important impetus for collecting, organizing and informing all documents and papers related to the sacred defense. As well as, public structure of these conferences and congresses permit gathering information on the elements of military and organizational presence and participation in the eight years of the sacred defense, and depicts the unsaid of the war in the heart of documents and reports. "This valuable information represents identity of organizations in the sacred defense."

“Dr. Ali Akbar Jafari”, a member of board of the 12^th Iranian Oral History Conference, said: "Students and scholars intending to enter this field must distinguish between these two definitions. The second point is pathology of oral history of the sacred defense. Be venturesome. Many books have been produced in this field. According to available information, more than 400 oral history books in field of the sacred defense are published within a year. In field of oral historiography, we're not at the beginning, but we have a long way to go.”

"The 12^th Conference of Iranian Oral History" aimed at "Explaining Relation and Necessity, Recognizing the Role and Recovery of Oral History Priorities in the Field of Jahad-e Sazandegi, Industry, Engineering, and Logistic in Sacred Defense", was held by Oral History Association of Iran, University of Isfahan, Administration of Veteran Affairs of Ministry of Agricultural Jahad and Isfahan Steel Company in Saeb Hall of Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan on December 18, 2019.

To be continued...

3rd part of “The 12th Conference on Iranian Oral History”

Part-4: "The 12th Conference of Iranian Oral History"