Working in Jihad Sazandegi

Memories of Saeedeh Seddighzadeh

Selected by Faezeh Sassanikhah
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2023-6-14

At the very beginning of the revolution, Imam Khomeini ordered to establish several institutions such as Jihad Sazandegi (Jihad of Construction), Basij, and Nehzat-e Savad Amuzi (Literacy Movement). Did you also work in these institutions?

I held a class on behalf of Narjes School (Maktab-e Narjes) for educators of the literacy movement who wanted to become a teacher in villages. I taught methods of teaching Qur'an, attractions of classroom management, and dealing with students. At that time, the literacy movement organization was in “Eshrat Abad”[1] Street, where I would go honorary whenever needed.

But a very beautiful memory that I remember from the first months of the revolution was when Imam said to help the farmers. He said we should be self-sufficient. All the people rushed toward the villages.

Early in the morning, after the morning prayer, I would also leave my son, who was five years old at that time, with my sister or mother and leave. We all had to gather in front of the Republican Party Building, which was at the intersection of Eshrat Abad. Then we would travel by minibus in groups of 20 and 30 people. I mostly went to the villages of Shandiz area, like “Dehno”. We harvested their wheat, packed it, and delivered it to them. When one land was finished, we went to another one. At first, we did not know how to harvest, the villagers themselves taught us. Before we learned, we struggled so much that our hands and feet blistered, but we all went and worked heartily. There was sympathy and companionship between people. We would take a piece of bread and eat with the villagers at noon and glowed with happiness. We were pleased we were working for the sake of God and we were also learning good lessons. It was very interesting to me that the villagers were only busy with working and production, unlike us who were just occupied with consumption. We made effort incessantly 24/7 to eat a luxury food, but the villagers didn't care food at all. A village woman woke up in the morning, tied her swaddled baby to her back, took a piece of bread and cheese or strained yogurt, and worked in the farm land until night. When we returned at night, all our hands had become like hands of workers. Our clothes were caught in the thorns and torn, but we were happy we obeyed the call of our leader. Or when Imam ordered to form the 20 million army and all of them receive military training, IRGC asked Narjes School to introduce some women for training. Mrs. Tahaei prepared a group that I was also among them. We were a group of about forty people, a few of whom were from Eslamshenasi School.

What were the selection criteria?

At the beginning of the revolution, trust in the referee was the criterion for being selected in any work. For example, they told Mrs. Tahaei we want to give military training to ten people. You introduce people. She also introduced based on her knowledge.

We went through an intensive course that lasted almost a month. I think it was in Takhti Stadium. We went every morning and were trained like soldiers until night. We were the first female forces who joined Basij and underwent military training. All the trainers were men. Mr. Pourian was one of those coaches. We had become so skilled that we all opened and closed Kalashnikov and M1 with our eyes closed.

Weren’t these courses difficult for you?

It was difficult, but finally it was command of the leader, “to establish an army of twenty million” [laughing]. When an order issued from Imam, we would raise our hands and say, “Aye aye, sir.” At that time, whatever Imam said, it exploded like a bomb. Everyone said because Imam requested it, then this should be done. At once, doors, walls, everywhere and everything became order of Imam.

When our course was over, they said you should go to high schools and give military training to girls. Because Imam had said the army of 20 million, that means everyone had to learn; man and woman, girl and boy.

They sent me to Sa’adi High School, which was the largest girls' school in Mashhad. Class by class, the children came to the yard and studied. There was also a poem that we all sang together with military gestures. The problem that existed at that time was that there were also members of cabals among the students and they might take advantage of this issue; especially Mojahedin-e Khalq (MKO) who were very active. In my opinion, these trainings in this way were not correct, but in any case, at that time, activities of Mojahedin were free and we taught everyone.[2]