Iranian professor in America narrates story of war

This is the story of Mohammad J. one of my best friends who was killed in Iran-Iraq war. Beside that thin man (me) in the photo, Mohammad is seen. In Iran, last week was the anniversary of the beginning of war between Iran and Iraq (1980-1988). State media call it “Holy Defense” and cover the event. In Iran, state narrations about the war are filled with myth-making about what happened those years. These narrations overseas are filled with geopolitics, military and academic discussions. Both do not reveal the realities of the war according to what happened to the soldiers and their families. Although we believe that a hero can be holy, myth-making distances us from real stories regarding epic and self-sacrifice.

Supreme Leader's Sacred Defense Memories

The official website of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, www.khamanei.ir, has recently released seven memories by the Leader on the occasion of the anniversary of the Sacred Defense. 1. A woman who offered all her belongings to the Iranian forces at war During my two or three-day stay in Hamadan, they gave me this letter in which a woman had written about her sacrifices to the war. She said she had already sent he husband and sons to the war front and felt embarrassed not to be able to go over to the battle herself. She also said she had two rings and a little sum of money which were here savings for several months and that she would readily offer them to the fighting forces instead of buying her children warm clothes for the winter.

TEN YEARS IN IRAN – SOME HIGH LIGHTS

Lecture delivered at the Society’s Anniversary Meeting on 13 June 1991. Sir Denis Wright GCMG first went to Iran in December 1953 as charge d’affaires to reopen the British Embassy after the break in diplomatic relations following Dr. Moussadeq‘s nationalisation of oil, remaining there under Sir Roger Stevens as counsellor until October 1955 when he was appointed an under-secretary in the Foreign Office.

Hiroshima Travelogue -15- Final Episode

Before leaving Tokyo for Tehran, we went to the Iranian embassy and awaited Dr. Nazar Ahari, Iran's ambassador to Japan, in the public meeting room. After the conventional formalities, each of us voiced their concerns regarding enhancement of cultural ties between Iran and Japan. Mr. Ambassador listened carefully and, whether sincerely or respectfully, subscribed to the aired views. In the end, everybody thanked the embassy staff for their hospitality and received gifts from the ambassador.

Hiroshima Travelogue - Episode 14

We should have arrived at the train station about noon. We had some time to go for shopping before the train moved. We went to a mall we had not been able to see before. It wouldn’t open before ten so we idle about a little while. There was this 100-yen shop which sold everything from a washing mitt to a shovel at 100 yens. We turned about in the shop for an hour. I also sneaked in an Adidas shop to buy myself a discounted shirt. There were some other shops with x% off prices. I was beaten by the prices with the feeble currency I had with me.

Hiroshima Travelogue -Episode 13

Today, Chokogu Daily released an article reporting on our meeting with the Hiroshima Bombing survivors. Only God and, of course, the Japanese knew what the article had written about.

Hiroshima Travelogue- Episode 12

We started out for the Peace Museum earlier than the other mornings. We wore specially designed shirts and hats with emblems of Tehran Peace Museum on them. It wasn’t very long to the Peace Park as it would take the slowest of us some 20 minutes to get there. We were supposed to be there before 8.

Hiroshima Travelogue - Episode 11

We move out of the Chugoku daily; exactly called the Chugoku Shimbun daily. They say it circulates some 700,000 copies every day. It will publish an article about the meeting between members of [Iran’s] Peace Museum (us) and survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima. Here we go to the Peace Park.

Hiroshima Travelogue - Episode 10

After a breakfast, we set out for a visit from Chugoku Shimbun daily. We gather at the entrance of the inn; there is no more a fat driver waiting for us. The bus is changed as is its driver. It is not a long journey.

Hiroshima Travelogue- Episode 9

We are taken to another beach the next morning to visit another isle. There are vessels to carry only human passengers from the beach to the isle. The vessels which were used for going to the Econojima isle could carry cars as well. The vessel breaks through the beautiful water to the isle. The green heights of the isle can be seen from the vessel. A little further, a religious sign can be seen in the water near the isle.