Oral History News – Dey 1403 (December 2024 - January 2025)

Compiled by: Iranian Oral History Website
Translated by Kianoush Borzouei

2025-2-5

According to the Iranian Oral History website, "Monthly News" is the title of a series of reports published on this platform, providing a comprehensive review of news related to the site’s subject matter across print and digital media. Below is a summary of significant developments in oral history from Dey 1403:

- The Director-General of the North Khorasan Office for the maintenance of Sacred Defense Works and Values, in a formal gathering with veterans of the Sacred Defense, underscored the necessity of documenting and compiling records, documents, and the oral histories of all combatants from the Sacred Defense era in North Khorasan Province.

- A specialized workshop on the oral history of the Sacred Defense was convened on the 4th of Dey at the Khuzestan Office for the maintenance of Sacred Defense Works and Values in collaboration with the National Archives and Documentation Center of the Sacred Defense in Ahvaz.

- The second session of a series of research meetings hosted by the Parliamentary Library’s Research Department, entitled "The Significance of Oral History in Organizational Knowledge Documentation within the Islamic Consultative Assembly," was held on Wednesday, the 4th of Dey.

- The Director of Literature and Oral History at the Hamedan Office for the maintenance of Sacred Defense Works and Values announced the unveiling of the book "Dam-e Zahraei," chronicling the memoirs and biography of the martyr, Pahlevan Hossein Fallah, in Hamedan.

- A two-day introductory training workshop on oral history and memoir writing, covering various thematic areas and attended by authors interested in literature concerning sacrifice and martyrdom, was conducted in Sanandaj on the 6th and 7th of Dey.

- On the sidelines of the "City’s Women: A Life Story" exhibition, aimed at empowering women, a panel discussion and critique session was held on two oral history books: "Take Off Your Iron Shoes" and "The Hosseiniyeh of the Portuguese," featuring the respective authors.

- The Head of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Art Center announced the publication of the book "Oral History of Mosques in Shahr-e Kord" by the Strategic Studies Office and the Department of Culture and Sustainability Studies of the provincial Art Center.

- The Chairman of the Mining Commission of the Kerman Chamber of Commerce reported on the compilation of the oral history of mining and mining operations in Kerman Province.

- Two specialized educational workshops on oral history were organized in collaboration with the Astan Quds Razavi Documentation and Press Center at the Imam Reza Cultural Complex and Library in Quchan, affiliated with the Organization of Libraries, Museums, and the Astan Quds Razavi Documentation Center.

- The Director-General of the West Azerbaijan Office for the maintenance of Sacred Defense Works and Values stated that 375 books focusing on the Sacred Defense—spanning genres such as novels, poetry, oral history, and documentary records—have been published in West Azerbaijan.

- The Director of Documentation and Records of the Sacred Defense in Khuzestan revealed that, as part of the ongoing Oral History Renaissance Project of the Sacred Defense in Khuzestan Province, the oral history documentation of the top-secret Nosrat Headquarters’ commanders and combatants has commenced.

- A workshop on the oral history of the Sacred Defense, tailored for writers and researchers in  the north of Khuzestan, was held at the Dezful Sacred Defense Cultural Center and Museum, featuring the participation of General Golali Babaei and Javad Kalateh Arabi.

- During a meeting attended by the Managing Director of the National Museum of the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense and the Director-General of the Tehran Office for the maintenance of Sacred Defense Works and Values, the Director-General of the Tehran Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs revealed that the foundation possesses 95,000 oral history case files on the martyr and veteran community in Greater Tehran.

- The book "The good Fragrance of Forgotten Years," the first volume in a series covering the history and geography of the Aghajari region, authored by Hassan Khademi Ramehrmazi, has reached its second edition in the field of oral history.

- In a collaborative effort between the National Library and Archives of Yazd Province and the provincial Radio and Television Organization, an initiative has been launched to document the oral history of veteran radio broadcasters in Yazd.

- The animated film "The Magical Clock," a visually artistic narration of the historic uprising at Goharshad Mosque, seeks to acquaint the younger generation with the realities of this tragic event. Produced based on documentary research and oral accounts from survivors, the animation serves as a cultural bridge between the past and the future, presenting national and historical identity in an engaging format for adolescents.

- During the closing ceremony of the 15th National Research and Technology Festival, the book "The Narrative of Sa’adat", a collection of oral history interviews with the late Ayatollah Seyyed Hassan Sa’adat Mostafavi, was introduced and unveiled. The book was compiled by Hojjat al-Islam Hadi Ghobadi.

- The book unveiling ceremony for "University, Society, and Knowledge"—chronicling the oral history of the University of Tehran during the presidency of Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi (2014–2021)—was held at the Ettelaat Institute, attended by Nili Ahmadabadi himself, Ahmadreza Khezri, Gholamhossein Zargari-Nejad, and Hadi Khaniki.

- The Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC and Head of the Documentation Center, at the "Sun of Insight and Spirituality" symposium, lamented the lack of public awareness regarding the Archives and Research Center of the Sacred Defense, stating that the only aspect recognized by the public is its oral history books, which have gained visibility primarily through book launch events.

- The documentary "This is Not a Propaganda Project" won the honorary diploma for Best Film in the Humanities Visualization category at the closing ceremony of the 5th Eshraq International Festival. This documentary narrates two decades of spiritual and religious tourism in Yazd Province, positioning itself as an oral history of Iran’s spiritual and religious tourism, with a particular focus on Yazd.

- A member of the Strategic Council of the Popular Front for the Second Step of the Islamic Revolution, speaking at the Supreme Council of Oral History of the Sacred Defense, hosted by the National Archives and Documentation Center of the Sacred Defense, remarked that certain bitter aspects of the Sacred Defense history—such as the dispatch of forces to Lebanon, the events of the war’s final years, and the acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 598—are either deliberately omitted or receive little attention due to various considerations.

• The Deputy Coordinator of the IRGC Quds Force emphasized the critical importance of documenting and preserving the oral history of warriors in exile, asserting that protecting and spreading the memoirs of these heroes constitutes a fundamental cultural duty.