Memories of Seyed Javad Pouyanfar

The 282nd edition of the Night of Sacred Defense Reminiscences series was held on the afternoon of Thursday, July 27, 2017 in the Soureh Hall of the Artistic sect of the Islamic revolution. In this program, pilot Seyed Javad Pouyanfar recounted his memories, saying: “We went on the mission on September 19 with four aircrafts, together with Martyr Lashkari, toward Zain al-Qous. That area was on our soil, but it had been occupied by the Iraqis.

The Narrator’s Final Journey

Vignettes from the Days Leading up to the Martyrdom of Seyyed Morteza Avini

April 9th marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Seyyed Morteza Avini—the renowned documentarian and chronicler of the war—who ultimately joined the ranks of the martyrs in the sands of Fakkeh. The book Martyr of Culture: Seyyed Morteza Avini in the Mirror of Memories collects numerous and varied recollections from different stages of his ...

The Beating Pulse of a Nation at the Moment of Nowruz

Every year, in the days and nights leading up to Nowruz, Shohada Square had a special charm. A few days before the New Year, the shops would fill with customers, and street vendors would take over the sidewalks. You could find everything in their stalls (from items for the Haft Sin table, candles, goldfish, and spring flowers to clothes, bags, and shoes).

Memoirs of Commander Asadollah Naseh

Commander Asadollah Naseh, deputy commander of Operation Mersad in 1988, was the guest of the 282nd episode of the “Night of Reminiscences” program (July 2017). He had also been among the narrators on the twelfth Night of Reminiscences program in 1993. Commander Naseh related that the account he recounted in 1993 pertained to events preceding Operation Mersad.

A Spring Redolent of Gunpowder in the Days of the Referendum

That year I could not be with my family for Nowruz. I was not overly distressed by this—firstly because I was an army man fulfilling official duties, and secondly because I was not alone in separation; my comrades were likewise apart from their families. We endured cold, dispirited days during the Nowruz of 1358 (1979). The sole abiding recollection is that we marked the new year at the Mahabad barracks with thoughts of our families.

An Exceptional Haft‑Seen Table

I wanted to celebrate the new year with my family. Together with two relief workers I boarded buses designated for transporting the wounded to Choubideh and received our mission orders. We waited for a helicopter to take us to Bandar Imam Khomeini. I was stationed near the helicopter’s touchdown zone and was slight in build. As the helicopter was about to land, I could not steady myself; the breeze generated by the rotor blades lifted me off the ground.

Memoirs of Mrs. Seddigheh Samiei

Seddigheh Samiei, with a Master of Art’s degree in Nursing and Law, was the guest of the 281st Night of Memory program (July 2017). Samiei stated: “I started working from the spring of 1980 at Valiasr (pbuh) Hospital, which was the first IRGC hospital and was established at Pol-e-Raj St. in Tehran. I had the honor of working with Martyr Dr. Rahnemun, Martyr Asemani, Martyr Sharifi Nia, and Martyr Mortaji.

The First Nowruz in Tikrit POW Camp No. 16

It was in December 1988 when I, along with about 150 other prisoners, was transferred from Tikrit POW Camp 12 to “Camp 16,” just a few kilometers away, on the charge of “indiscipline.” The Iraqis called it “Qafas,” meaning “the cage.” And they were right. More than anything else, Tikrit Camp No. 16 resembled a large cage, with five barracks and an attached prison known as the “Mulhaq.”

The Ramadan War: A battle of Wills

A continuous, terror-inducing roar of an American fighter jet reverberated through the air. It circled the sky as if it had no intention of departing. I hesitated that should I go to the gathering or stay home? I could not tell whether being on the street at that moment was a wise choice. For several minutes my mind wrestled with this question. Eventually I told myself the jet was there not only to destroy buildings and take lives but to clear the streets.

Qadr nights in Tikrit’s number.16 concentration camp;

Spirituality as a Mechanism of Resistance

Qadr nights in Tikrit’s number.16 concentration camp was not just a religious ritual, rather it functioned as one of the most important mechanisms of identity protection, rehabilitation of spirit and inner resistance of POWs. In a situation that access to Quran, Mafatih and even conducting communal rituals was strictly limited and prohibited, this limit itself was altering the meaning of Qadr night for us.