In an intimate and emotional gathering, narrators and veterans of the Sacred Defense met with Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, to reflect on their experiences during the Iran-Iraq War. The meeting served as a profound reminder of the responsibility these storytellers hold in preserving the authentic history of the conflict and the human realities of the young men who fought in it.
Deconstructing the “Myth” of the Martyr
A central theme of the gathering was the absolute necessity of portraying the martyrs not as unattainable legends, but as relatable, ordinary youths.
The narrators emphasized that while famous commanders like Kaveh, Borunsi, Hemmat, Kharrazi, Bakeri, Sayyad, Babaei, Boroujerdi, and Esmail Daghayeghi were exceptional, the vast majority of the martyrs were regular teenagers and young adults.
These youths had normal aspirations, loved life, and cared deeply about their appearances.
One narrator recalled Hassan Pour-Esmail, who bought a hat to avoid getting a tan line on his face before he got married.
Another shared the story of Martyr Majid Zarif, who would take a shower twice a day at the front and meticulously style his hair.
Martyr Alireza Tousi was remembered as a pampered and sensitive boy who would cry if a ball hit him too hard during neighbourhood games.
The Miracle of Spiritual Transformation
Ayatollah Khamenei validated these authentic portrayals, noting that the true miracle of the war was the profound spiritual evolution of these ordinary individuals.
He explained that many of these young men initially lacked deep knowledge of God, but as they neared martyrdom, their spiritual states transformed dramatically.
These transformations manifested in dedication to midnight prayers, tearful supplications, and a total readiness to sacrifice their lives.
The Leader recounted a personal memory of an army major working under Martyr Chamran. Despite having no prior warm relationship with Ayatollah Khamenei, the major appeared “really full of light” and spiritually transformed just one day before his martyrdom.
He advised the narrators to explain these realities to their audiences, noting that sharing these relatable details gives today’s youth self-confidence and reassurance.
However, he strongly cautioned against exaggeration or fabricating details, stating that the truth itself is fascinating enough without embellishment.
The Threat of Historical Distortion
The gathering also highlighted a stark warning from the Leader regarding the consequences of failing to tell these stories accurately.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasised that if the great events and truths of the world are not narrated correctly, they will either remain hidden or become distorted.
He warned that adversaries actively seek to marginalise, distort, and fabricate the truths of the Revolution and the Sacred Defense.
Enemies aim to “fabricate lies in order to replace the executioners with the martyrs,” attempting to rewrite history.
He pointed out that, given the chance, adversaries will condemn the Islamic Republic for resisting the Ba’athist regime instead of placing the blame on the aggressors.
Harrowing Echoes from the Battlefield
The narrators shared several deeply emotional firsthand accounts that underscored the raw human cost of the conflict.
A narrator recounted the tragic fate of the Hanzaleh Battalion, whose members were completely surrounded and fought to the death.
Another shared a chilling memory of searching for missing martyrs in the swamps at night. They eventually found the bodies by following the “dib, dib, dib” sound of the martyrs’ waterproof Casio watches, which were still set to ring at 3:45 a.m. for midnight prayers.
A female narrator detailed her experiences during heavy enemy bombardments in the Kurdish village of Dezli, highlighting the often-overlooked presence, bravery, and peril faced by women in the conflict zones.
