In the city of Minab, a nine-year-old girl’s journey to the classroom was abruptly transformed into a journey to her Creator. Setayesh Ali Hosseini, a fourth-grade student at the Shajareh Tayyebeh School, was martyred on February 28, 2026, during a cowardly attack on her school. But to those who knew her, Setayesh was not merely a victim of senseless violence; she was a devout child of the Ahl al-Bayt whose short life was illuminated by faith, innocence, and a beautiful, unfulfilled dream.
A Soul Drawn to the Divine
To her mother, Setayesh was a gentle and kind-hearted soul who filled their home with light. Deeply devoted to the Ahl al-Bayt, she held a special love for Hazrat Ruqayyah (SA) and frequently spoke with shining eyes about her yearning to visit the holy shrines of Karbala and Imam Reza (AS).
Despite her young age, Setayesh possessed a spiritual maturity far beyond her years. Her mother recalled that she had been fasting since she was just seven years old. In a profound display of her innate purity, the little girl would perform her ablution (wudu) before going to sleep, ensuring she rested in a state of spiritual cleanliness. Among her earthly desires, she longed to visit the Imam Reza shrine and to one day see the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in person.
The Miniature Classroom
Before she was called to the ranks of the martyrs, Setayesh had a simple, touching dream: she wanted to become a teacher. Her mother fondly remembered how Setayesh would gather her dolls, arrange them in neat rows, and take on the role of their instructor. Turning her little bedroom into a miniature school, she would teach them lessons with the utmost seriousness. It was not just a child’s game; it was the blossoming of a soul meant to guide and nurture others.
A Mother’s Nightmare and the Blood of the Innocent
The tragedy struck during the holy month of Ramadan. Setayesh had been fasting that day, her small body abstaining from food and water in devotion to Allah, just as she had done for years. When news of the devastating attack on her school broke, her mother’s world collapsed. Trembling with a terror no parent should ever endure, she rushed toward the school.
Instead of the sounds of children learning and playing, she was met with smoke, chaos, and the unimaginable destruction of a sanctuary meant for the innocent. She searched desperately through the rubble and the local hospital for her little girl, a little girl who had only gone to school to learn, to grow, and to become the teacher she was destined to be.
A Father’s Plea to the World
The grief of Setayesh’s father, Mostafa Ali Hosseini, is matched only by his righteous anger. He has called for his message to cross oceans and reach the ears of those he holds responsible for the bloodshed, specifically demanding that figures like Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu hear the reality of what happened in Minab.
His plea to the world is a stark indictment of the cruelty inflicted upon the innocent: “They were students,” he emphasised. “They had not gone to school to fight a war. They had gone there to learn, play, and build their futures.”
The Eternal Classroom
Setayesh’s classroom at the Shajareh Tayyebeh School was named after Major General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a defender of her nation. Yet, her greatest teacher was her own unyielding faith. Today, her dolls sit quietly in her empty room, but Setayesh herself has graduated to a higher, eternal classroom. She was martyred while fasting, her soul taking flight directly to the embrace of the holy figures she loved so dearly.
Setayesh Ali Hosseini’s dream to teach was cut short on earth, but her story now teaches the world an unforgettable lesson about the sanctity of innocent life, the brutality of oppression, and the enduring, radiant spirit of a true martyr. May Allah grant her parents sabr (patience) and reunite them with their beautiful daughter in the highest gardens of Paradise.
Reference: Tehran Times