Bread of The War Years

Reihaneh Mohammadi
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2020-05-05

The book "Bread of The War Years", a review of role of women in village of Sad Kharu in Sabzevar in supporting the holy defense was published.

This book is result of about 24 hour interview between Mohammad Asgharzadeh and the women of Sad Kahru Village, written by Mahmoud Shamabadi; memories of the women of Sad Kharu Village in supporting the front was narrated in 16 chapters and 126 headings. The two last sections of the book are also dedicated to images of jihadist women and martyrs of this village. Each heading is of one person and has a short and scattered narrative in 5 to 10 lines, which could be a piece of observations and memories of one of them and more than a few lines.

Khair al-Nesa Sad Kharu said in a part in the book titled "Coffee of Mourning":  "We used to give coffee in mourning. We used to say that tragedy is bitter and your mouth should be also bitter. When Ayatollah Boroujerdi died, the village mourned. We held a ceremony in the mosque for three days. Sound of those who recited Qur'an was not stopped for a moment. Men and women cried as if their loved one had died. At home, we would roast coffee and beat it. When it was infused, we would pour into big teapots and bring them for mourning."

In a part of the book's introduction we read: "The enemy had come to fire the home, but women of the village weren’t indifferent. When Jahad Sazandegi entered the village, they began to bake bread for the front, bread and cookies, soup and jam, scarves and hats, jackets and socks, and they did not hesitate to do whatever they could. It all started in the heart of the same rural houses. Rural women saw the house as a battlefield and threw themselves into tumult. Village women worked and crusaded with their husbands. The village women would wake up with morning Adhan and while they had done Wudu set up an oven ..."

Sad Kharu village in the west of Sabzevar is one of villages that supported the war during years of the holy defense. In history of the holy defense, less attention has been paid to role of villages, which they also joined supporting the war with help of Jihad Sazandegi. Women of Sad Kharu village are an example of revolutionary women who dedicated their lives to defending the revolution and its values. Although these women were not well-educated and had not study at a university, they learned that life was nothing but belief and jihad. That's why they become all of a sweat before wet oven, but they didn't stop baking bread for the war.

Imam Khomeini, on page 203 of the fourteenth volume of Sahifeh, has said about greatness of work of these: “When I see these noble women who accompany and support armored division and forces, I feel some value for them in my heart that is not the same for others. They don’t expect any position or post for what they do or don’t have any request of people; these are not important for them, but they are anonymous soldiers that should say they are crusading on the fronts."

In part of the book, we read: "There was no place in the region like Sad Kharu. This leadership was beholden women of Sad Kharu. It has been said that this is what benefits our world and hereafter. All the work was eleemosynary and we did not have any salary, one of the ladies had five orphaned children. His living was paid through baking bread. He also baked bread for the front, but free."

The first edition of this book, was released by Rah-e Yaar Publication in 192 pages and 2000 issues in winter of 2020.