The 275th night of reminiscence was held;

Once again, Behnam Mohammadi and the reminiscence of Khorramshahr’s defenders

Maryam Rajabi
Translated by Fazel Shirzad

2017-1-2

Note: As oral history site reported, two hundred and seventy fifth programs of the night of reminiscence was held at Art Center on Thursday evening on 2th Day 1395 (2016-December-22). In this ceremony, pilot Mahdi Rafiei, Vahab Khateri, Seyed Saleh Mosavi told their memoirs about martyr Behnam Mahmoudi, A 13 years teen, and went over the day of sacred defense one again.

He is from here

Initially, a documentary about the life of Behnam Mohammadi Rad, was shown at that night in which his friends and homeboys told some memoirs about him; Seyyed Saleh Mosavi (a 17 years old defender of Khorramshahr in those days , he was reputed as Salehi and was best friend of Behnam), Shapoor  Mohammadi Rad (the brother of Behnam), Mahmoud Noorani (a 19 years old defender of Khorramshahr) Ahmad Horasi (a member of Khorramshahr’s Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution), Vahab Khateri and Karim Behi (the defender of Khorramshahr). Each one of them, described the dynamic personality of him, their friendship and how he was martyred. Behnam, as he was a teenager boy, tried to bring the ammunition for them, and turned on the lantern of city and identified the injured fighters, and he even took a gun at the last day of life, he helped others as much as possible at a low age. Finally, on 23th Mehr 1359 (20the October 1980) he was injure by a quiver on his chest and then martyred in Taleghani hospital.

The film "he is from here", directed by Amin Ghadami and prepared by Davud Amirian, is made for Center for Intellectual Development of Children and Teenagers.

The publication of biography of Behnam Moradi in Itally

Mahdi Rafiei, who was as the first person told his memoirs at the 275^th night of reminiscence: " I start to tell with a memoir about biggest trouble of consider of our battalion, martyr Reza Dashti; he didn’t agree with me to join in group. He was not pleased with me to attend in operation. He was always mentioning that it is better staying here and be holding the events, then telling to future generation."

Rafiei added "someday, as I rode on back seat of van, we were moving from our station to Khorramshahr. Vahab was driving at the speed of 120 km per hour; suddenly, an Iraqi aircraft named MIG appeared above our head. I jumped down from the van before a bridge. Vahab braked and stopped the van. I was also pulled on the ground about 50 meters, and my feet were overhung from the van and I was turned back on friends had a gun G3 in hands. It was a good chance that I had worn helmet."

In the continuation of speech, he said: "whenever I open diary, I find myself sad for losing the friends with great honor and gentility, in these days, as I'm invited by consultants East Asia and Europe, I has an opportunity to tell my memoirs for students. The students can be as a cool ambassador for Iranian in their country, I have recently met some Italian and Spanish journalist and want to present my memoirs as a story them to be published weekly. I sometimes say the students that whatever people of world suffer from a tribe named Daesh, we also suffered from Saddam’s army and his proponent; when I told them that the Iraqi force had even violated against the Iranian 7 or 8 years old girls, some of them cried extremely. When I say them that you (the proponents of Saddam) killed horribly the Iranian youths and the people of Sardasht, and shot to 6 meter alley of Dezful by 12 meter rackets, they brought their head down and felt a deep sense of shame.

Rafiei explained:" I wrote the story of Behnam in the name of "28th day"; I hope it will be published at am Italian journal, today. I want to tell a short memoirs about Parviz Arab, who was mostly at the same age with Behnam, for you. At a night, Salehi, Vahab, Behroz Gheisari, Jamshid Borun, Amir Rafiei and I congregated at school of Abadan and form the chairs as a circle and were eating pinto bean. Parviz Arab requested me to tell the memoirs of pre-revolution and political prison and common committee prison of SAVAK. I spoke for half an hour. After finishing the memoir, Parviz said me shamefully: "I wish I were adult and were able to attend in political activities." I replied him: "Parviz! Someday, the next generation will hear these events and stories; they will envy why didn’t accompany with us? As we envy why didn’t accompany with Imam Hossain (PBHM)?"

A competition with Ayatollah Dastgheib

He added: "I'm going to tell a memoir related to Khorramshahr. All of fighters and martyrs were from different tribes and places, on the other words, they were "placeless".  I named this story as "Seyed Abdul Azimi". When I graduated in Master of Science in 1359(1980), the universities were closed, and I came to force to be in the employment of ministry of education. I was sent to a city named Eqlid, it was a faraway place to the north of Fars province. Unfortunately, in those days, illiterate people were not able to read even their name well. I used to go in the frontage of war frequently, I was positioned as school master of high school. Evidently, there was no difference for school masters to attend at schools or not; I got it. In 1360(1981). After operation Samen-ol-Aemeh and defeating the siege of Abadan on 20^th Mehr, I was bringing some of the students, about 388 students, to Paveh County where Hajj Ibrahim Hemmat was as the commander in. but, we should go Shiraz at the start.

There was a student named Seyed Abdul Azim Azimi. When he was a child, he was in a track accident and lost his left foot. He used of a medical wand to walk, but he was very quick. We went to camp Abdullah Mesgar, today it is called Imam Hossain, in Shiraz. The authority of the camp prevented Seyed Abdul Azim to go war, and said: "You don’t have permission to go war." It was the first appearance of daylight in the morning. I said to Abdul Azim: " it is better to have lunch, then came back." In afternoon, Ayatollah Seyed Abdul Hossain Dastgheib made a speech for Basij volunteers in the camp. After ending of speech, Abdul Azim said to Seyed Abdul Hossain: "cousin! I want to go war give permission me to go war, but the authorities, who are responsible to send fighters war, didn’t give permission me to go". Due to your injured feet, you will make trouble for others" Seyed Abdul Hossain said. Abdul Azim made a strange suggestion, and said: I can complete with whom you chose for a footrace; if I failed in the race, I won't insist on going." Abdul Hossain Destgheib said:" who is your commander?" Abdul Azim beckoned me and said he was my commander." Race with your commander!" Abdul Hossain Destgheib said.

I had never been in such situation and I had never raced like that. I had attended in different races: shooting race, wresting, football etc. but that race was very peculiar. The foot of my arrival had been injured and he was going to war. It was the terms of Seyed Abdul Hossain, I wondered what should I do? It was due to run for a distance of 200 meters. I was in good physical condition. Initially, initially, I took it as a joke. I could be failed in this race on both sides. If I failed  in the race, as a commander of group with to memoirs, I would be faced a difficult situation, and I if I won the race, it would became more difficult, I had never participated in a race to intend a flunk; I think, I'm not created to be failed. When the race was started, I tried to tolerate with rival, but I found him a strong rival. He was running by his wand, and jumping as a beer. Finally, I won at a distance of some steps. There was an absence of sound or noise awfully in the camp. The look of friends, who attended in the camp, and Seyed Abdul Hossain bothered me extremely, as if my bones were being crashed. When I won and sat on my knees, I turned my head and saw Abdul Azim walking, by his wand, to gate of the camp. I glanced the friends, they were looking me, as if they were looking Saddam. It was for first time that it was in blame, and I had been in blame, up to now. While, Seyed Abdul Azim was going toward the gate, Abdul Hossain called him to come back, and then said to the master of sending forces to war. "Send Abdul Azim to the frontage of war! I undertake the legal responsibility of him." By the time, Abdul Azim was appreciated and tossed by the friends; Abdul Azim didn’t come back home and stayed in the war until he was martyred in operation Beit-ol-Moqaddas on 3th Khordad 1361 (on 24^th may 1981)

The next generation attended us at war

Ahab Khatri was the second person told his memoirs at the 275^th program of the night of reminiscence. He started his memoir with an introduction of Mahdi Rafiei and said: "he is one of the combatants before Islamic revolution of Iran, he exchange his birth certificate, with his cousin's one not to be sent for military service; he was captured by SAVAK and sentenced to a life imprisonment. Then he gained freedom from prison after revolution. He is respectable for his backgrounds and age. In those days, only family consists of father and mother were allowed to visit prisoner; his parent were not allowed to visit him, because Rafiei have exchanged his birth certificate."

He added: "Ansari went shrine of Imam Hossain (PBHM) visit it. He said to Imam Hossain: I accompanied you and I was injured at war." He said these senesces as a Salaam to Imam Hossain. Somebody protest him and said: what did you say? Where were you? Where was Imam Hossain? Ansari replied: Mohammed prophet (PBHM) says that if you love someone, you will be mingled with him or her and partook in his or her activities. According to 12 sermon of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, someone said to Imam after war Jamal (camel): I wish my brother were with us, and shared this victory with us. "Whom did your brother follow heartily? Did he follow us?" imam replied. "Yes" he said."  Imam said: "those, who has not even been born as yet, follow us heartily, they will be shared with us." After introduction, Khateri added: "we should transfer the subjects of scared defense to next generation. If the generation follow us heartily, they will be shared with us, and as if they have accompanied us."

He continued his memoir in Khorramshahr as follows: "as there were not enough fighters, we could not fight all through night and day, and stay there at night, because it was possible for us dropped off to sleep, and wound be captured by the enemy. We decided to come back to military station and take rest there, then go back to the war. At night, it was the time of prayer, and I was sitting next to Reza Dashti. Reza said that let's to pray collectively. Some of the friends didn’t agree with him, because it was not possible to gather all of the fighters according to military security rules. If the fighters gathered at a place to pray, maybe a rocket would be shot there and all could be died. The fighters were commanded to choose whether or not you pray individually or collectively. Martyr Haghighi, the imam of prayer, who was martyred the next day. I was praying at first line and next to window of mosque; by the time, a cannon was impacted behind the window. The wave of explosion came inside of the mosque and wiggled me. After prayer, all of friends who disagree to pray collectively, protested against Reza. He used to pause before replying to someone; he said: "did you know why I decided to pray collectively? Because I thought that, perhaps, the religion and belief of fighters could be overcome by fear. I wanted to practice to overcome the fear, and to be aware of helping hands of God. Did you see that it was the last cannon shot here? The resistance of Khorramshahr is under oppressions. All of friends were oppressed by enemy. Reza Dashti requested Mahdi Rafiei for going among people and acclaiming the oppression."

The resistance of Khorramshahr

 Seyyed Saleh Moosavi was the third person told his memoir at the 275^th program of the night of reminiscence. He said: "those who resisted in Khorramshahr, in my opinion, were the chosen mankind from God. It means God wanted them to be stay there and cause to start of resistance. We were captured in 1358 (1980), to send us Iraq to be tortured. It was only recently that Islamic revolution of Iran have begun. Our military station was attacked by the enemy in Khorramshahr. We were captured and brought to American embassy. I was a teenager. One of them said me in Persian but in Arabic accent: "oh, baby! You should be at school now, meanie!" he also used vulgar curse me. I made a sally against him, by the time I was shot by a volley of ballet!"

He added: "Banisadr, the first president of Iran after revolution, was a traitor. Some believed he was not a traitor, but, as I believe, if he wasn’t a traitor, so why some teenagers go to war and to be martyred? For example, Behnam Mahmoudi, Reza Rouhani, Mohsen Shamshiri, Reza Karimpoor, Amir Majid Khaiatizadeh, and Zillion teenagers.  In those days, the Iranian fighters fought against the enemy with an empty handed and without gun, they tried to catch the guns of Iraqi fighters and fight against them. We had not communion enough. How did Iranian fighters resist and fight against the enemy? Most of parents of the Iranian fighters were emulator of Imam Khomeini. In the markets of Khorramshahr, the tried to respect the religious beliefs. They were honest and brave. They were not two-faced. They respected fiercely to their honor and life, and they acted for their beliefs. After revolution, the first group of Hezbollah Movement established in Khorramshahr. Everyone tried to depredated Iran; on the one side Banisadr and on the other side People's Mujahedin of Iran. We were sure, he betrayed their country. We knew there were some people waiting for intellectual process of Imam Khomeini to be finished and took control over Iran. Keeping territorial integrity, honor and gentility of Iran, were the main issues. We were aware of these issues, we resisted against the enemy and traitor with no equipment.  

The story of Mehr (September) 10

As the executor of the program requested, seyed saleh Mosavi told the story of Mehr 10 as follow: "in the morning of Mehr 10, Reza Dashti, Mohammad Noorani and Qassem Qassemzadeh went to see governor and requested him to open dam to stream down water behind of bulwark and prevent Iraqi tanks. Reza Dashti could not take permission to open the dam; they came back head over heels. Reza Mosavi, who became the commander of Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution in Khorramshahr after Mohammad Ali Jahan Ara, came to visit me early in the morning. I had a small radio to listen the news of world. Reza Mosavi was a serious, strong-minded and orderly man. The friends were sleeping. The squeak of the tanks from the road of Shalamcheh to slaughterhouse could be heard. Little by little, the tanks arrived in the road of slaughterhouse. Reza beat the radio on the dust of bulwark, and said: "why tanks are here?"." they are here to destroy us" I said. By the time, the tanks targeted us. We escaped and said to friend to pull away.

The friends were being killed by the bullets of tanks. The Iraqi forces were going to destroy Khorramshahr. We moved toward road police station. There were a short wall and some soldiers. We arrived in the road of Khorramshahr to Ahvaz. The tanks were shooting towards the walls and killing the friends, and falling them in the middle of street. We changed in our direction and turned. Thereafter, I did not see Reza. I went behind of stadium. I found the Iranian fighters, who were students and civilian forces, killed and crumbled there. It made me sad extremely. I moved towards the House of Youth, and square of railway, and gathered some forces. While I was explaining the fighters how they should defend themselves against the enemy, suddenly Ali Heydari dragged me, and I saw there was a tank behind us. I intimidated myself and, at the same moment, I was changed another person. I said to the friends: "They will pass over our corpus or we will defeat them." He emphasized: "bear in mind forever that if they kill us and pass over out corpus, they will rape the women by violence and stain or family honor in our country. I visited Abbas Bahrami, Hajj Mohammad Noorani, Taghi Mohsenifar, Ali Hossaini, Mohammadreza Kazemi at the House of Youth and spoke with them. I went next to the mosque of railway and sat there. The friends called me; "what are you doing there? Don't stand there!" the tanks were surveying what they should do. I saw that Behnam Mohammadi, regardless of a rain of bullets, was running from boulevard to me, and  Mohammad Noorani was running on that side. Two Iranian fighters were trapped on corner of a barn. When I saw Behnam was running on that side, I sand up and run toward the square and, as I'm shouting "Allah Akbar" shot the tanks. By the time, the friends were throwing hand grenades towards tanks from the top of wall. The others forces, who were alive, run away from there.

With the aid of God, we, 20 fighters, overturned the Iraqi tanks on Mehr 10. Reza prayed there and implied that there was no things more valuable than prayer. Mohammad Jahan Ara said: “If Khorramshahr is captured by the enemy, don’t worry! We will recapture it from the enemy. Be careful for your beliefs not to be captured. It is not important for us to be alive or not, but it is important the religion to be survived for us."

The two hundred and seventy fifth ceremony of series Night of Reminiscence under efforts of the Center for Cultural Research and Studies of culture and Literature stability, and office of Literature and Art of Resistance was held at Sureh hall of Art Center on Thursday evening in 2th December 1395.