New Works of Oral History of Islamic Revolution Cultural Front

Memory-Narrating with "Moraba-ye Gol-e Mohammadi (Damask rose Jam)" and "Revolution of Roles"

Mohammad-Ali Fatemi
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2018-3-14

Book of "Moraba-ye Gol-e Mohammadi: memories of life-skill teachers of 1360s (SH) of East Azerbaijan" researched by Hossein Vahid Rezaeinia and compiled by Ruhollah Rashidi, was published by office for Studies of Cultural Front of Islamic Revolution and Office of Maaref Publication on winter 2018.

This 216-page book is one of the books which are published as a collection titled "Ganj" and "Oral History of Islamic Revolution Cultural Front". "Moraba-ye Gol-e Mohammadi" in this collection is the first book titled "Schools of Revolution".

In the first 136 pages of the book, there are 66 pieces of memories, some of which are accompanied by a related design or a picture. They are also accompanied by rationalizations in order to inform the current reader in how era and atmosphere and when and where and before whom the memories were taken place.

After the memories, four life-skill teachers are introduced; martyrs Jafar Khalilzadeh, Ali Salmannejad, Mohammad Reza Farahmand and the late Mir Morteza Mehrbod. The book is ended with an epilogue on role of life-skill teachers in schools and an album of photos related to topic of the book.

"Moraba-ye Gol-e mohammadi" was provided in oral history unit of office for Studies of Islamic Revolution Cultural Front. Another work which was produced in the same unit and was released on winter 2018 is "Revolution of Roles: oral memories of Mohammad Moltaji". This book researched by Hasan Soltani and Morteza Ansarizadeh and compiled by Morteza Ansarizadeh, is from the same collection of "Ganj: oral history of Islamic Revolution cultural front" and the first book focused on "Performing Arts of Revolution". "Revolution of Roles" was also published by office for Studies of Cultural Front of Islamic Revolution and Maaref Publication.

This 240-page book contains memories of the narrator in six parts. As the editor writes, this work originates in 23 interviews with the narrator as well as supplementary interviews. In his opinion, "In oral history, reports and memories of the individual have authenticity. That is, in studying a phenomenon instead of looking from above and regarding documents etc... as base, we give authenticity to the people who had been involved in or have at least been influenced by that phenomenon. Reports and memories, although they are personal, gradually present an understanding of a social phenomenon. In oral history, researcher tries to make rationalized statements of subject, but he does not apply any changes in them (such as correction, subtilizing, etc.). Scholar of oral history plays as facilitator; he/she tries to help the subject with having background and contextual information and asking appropriate questions to remember his/her memories more accurately. In this way, attention should be paid to difference of rationalization and imposition. Process of rationalizing reports is an inter-subjective and interactive activity focused on the subject's attitudes, while in imposition researcher tries to hear his intended contents and positions in narration of the subject."

The narrator (Mohammad Moltaji), was born in 1942, expressed his memories from childhood to the early 1390s. During the period, addition to general events of life and geography of his origin (Mashhad), two important transformations of Islamic Revolution and the sacred defense direct his story. At the service of the revolution, he addresses art activities and becomes prominent in the theater. In words of editor of the book, "Mohammad Moltaji is an example of a generation of the guys of Islamic Revolution that perhaps the best description of their activities and attempts is this statement of Seyyed Morteza Avini:"children of the revolution in front of inexperienced arenas." A generation who has grown in mosque and before Minbar (rostrum) and they suddenly find themselves faced with modern arts which do not have much of a historical background about them. "The narrator also states," It was a revolution that increased our expectation of ourselves and opened another world to our eyes."