Book Review

Pak-Setan (Clean-Seeker)

Eighteen stories from the servants and pilgrims of Arba’in from the Indian subcontinent in Sistan and Baluchestan

Pakistan, by Ehsan Qaidi Vanani, is a collection of eighteen field stories by ten authors about pilgrims from the Indian subcontinent; pilgrims who reach Iran from the borders of Mirjaveh and Rimdan to take a breather in the processions that have been organized for several ...

Pepper Fragrance

A Self-Ethnographic Account of a Journey to Pakistan’s Balochistan Province

“Before the trip, I Googled Quetta, Pakistan. All it gave me—top to bottom—were news of bombings and terrorist operations. I blamed it on Persian-language limitations. Who could have imagined that I would spend a whole day and night traveling and sharing meals with a smuggler?! It never crossed my mind that Pakistan’s security police ...

Book Review:

An Sooye Divar (Beyond the Wall)

The Capture of the American Embassy by Habibollah Bitarf

A review session for the book “Beyond the Wall” was held on Monday, November 3rd, 2025, in the presence of the narrator, editor, and researchers at the Tahereh Saffarzadeh Hall of the Hozeh Honari. Below is the text of Hassan Beheshtipour’s speech at the session.

From Javanrud to Piranshahr

The Memoir of Reza Mohammadinia

The book From Javanrud to Piranshahr recounts the life and struggles of Commander Reza Mohammadinia, who spent part of the Iran–Iraq War in the western and northwestern regions of the country. During those years, he held responsibilities such as deputy commander of the Seventh Region of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), acting head of the Javanrud district, service on the southern fronts, director of ...

A Critical and Scholarly Study of Dr. Hossein Alaei’s Two-Volume Book:

Tactical and Strategic Analysis and Limitations

The present paper, entitled “A Critical and Scholarly Study of Dr. Hossein Alaei’s Two-Volume Book: Tactical and Strategic Analysis and Limitations”, is a research work that examines and evaluates the two-volume book “An Analytical History of the Iran-Iraq War”. In this study, the strengths and weaknesses of the work are analyzed from the perspectives of content critique, methodology, and sources.

The Compassionate Commander

The book The Compassionate Commander recounts the life and struggles of Brigadier General Abdol-Mohammad Raoufinejad. During the years of the Sacred Defense, he held key positions including Commander of the IRGC in Andimeshk and Dezful, as well as commander of the 7th Vali-Asr Brigade, later elevated to a full division. After the war, he continued his service in various capacities such as Commander of the 31st ...

Folklore and Oral History

Interview and composition guide

In today’s world, where cultural and social changes are accelerating, the preservation and documentation of oral narratives and folklore heritage has become increasingly important. In this context, the publication of the book The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide by Marjorie Hunt, marks a valuable step toward enhancing the ...

War Health

Narrated by Dr. Ali Mehrabi Tavana

The book War Health is an oral narrative by Dr. Ali Mehrabi Tavana, a commander in the health sector during the Sacred Defense era. This book, in the form of six chapters and twenty conversation sessions, covers the narrator’s life from birth to the end of the [Iranian] Eight-Year War. The interviews and compilation of the book were conducted ...

Rereading the War History in the Mirror of Memories:

The Necessity of Standardizing Oral History and Criticism of General Mohsen Rezaei

History can be considered the great narrative of humanity, of the path it has traveled, of the pains it has endured, and of the hopes it has nurtured. However, this narrative takes on various forms, depending on its narrators.

Najaf Headquarters Human Resources

Narration of Bahman Kargar

Gen. Bahman Kargar, one of the personnel officials of Region 7 (West of the country), personnel official of Najaf Headquarters and deputy of human resources and education of the Sarallah First Corps has narrated his memories in the book Human Resources of the Najaf Headquarters. This book contains twenty-one interviews that cover his birth to his responsibilities in Sarallah First Corps and post-war activities.
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Experts Answer to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/ 34

To what extent are we allowed to use narrative techniques (however simple) in compiling an oral history text?
We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week.

Validation: Challenges and Necessities

Where does truth stand in oral history? How can the correctness of a narrative be recognized? Does fact-checking matter? If there is exaggeration in the reporting of some accounts, how can it be detected? Is it possible to record an event accurately through the recording of a narrative? Readers and users of oral history works are often faced with these questions, and sometimes encounter doubts about some oral history works.
A Portion of Abbas Douzduzani’s Memoirs

From Revolutionary Circles to the Military Arm of the Islamic Government

In those days, it became clear that certain institutions had to be established very quickly—institutions suited to the temperament, expectations, and lingering aspirations of the younger generation; young people who had been politically active before the Revolution and, in some cases, had been directly entangled in arrests, imprisonment, ...

Authenticating Oral History: From Possibility to Necessity

The use of oral history as one of the historical sources has long been one of the principal challenges facing oral historians and those who employ it in contemporary historiography. The development of international standards for oral history, as well as IRIB standards, was intended to address the criticisms raised in this regard. The relationship between Diplomatics in written records and oral history is reciprocal.