Review of "Jange Khakrizha (bulwarks war)" and "Va Dase Pati (by empty-handed)"

Memories of Resistance and Sacred Defence in a Border Province

Nazanin Sasanian
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2016-12-3

"Jange Khakrizha"[1] which was published includes Rahimzadeh Hodjattallah's memories of imposed war of Saddam's army against Iran. This book is his repaying an obligation to Sacred Defense. After hearing The Leader words about importance of books and reading books and necessity of writing events and memories of Sacred Defense stick in his minds to write his memoirs. The result of the notification is the book "Jange Khakrizha".

This book is a set of explaining an atmosphere of war in the south and southwest. "Jange Khakrizha" is written by Hojatollah Rahim Zadeh and Qasem Nazari has developed it. Easy and chummy text of the book has made reading it convenient, but in some pages editing the book has not been done as it deserves.

Rahimzadeh states in introduction of the book, when he began writing the books more than twenty years after the end of the war. The distance caused to downplay somewhat the details of memories. The details have a notable importance in the chronology and oral history, but nevertheless the book narrates actions and events of Ilam, Mehran etc.… during the war. In fact, the book is representation of revolutionary activities and Sacred Defense in the regions because the author for being settled in boundary regions since the first days, has felt the war. Liberalizations and occupations, smiles and cries, all existed in this book.

Significant and interesting part of the book narrates the life of people in times of war. The writer could show responsibility of people in war zones and outskirts for the wounds and in order to each other. The book which was developed in the field of oral history refers the operations of Ashura, Karbala-1, Karbala-6, Nasr-2, Nasr-6 and Dawn 10.

"Jange Khakrizha" has been developed in seven seasons. The last chapter is devoted to the photo album so that the reader being familiar with the atmosphere of that era. As he stated in a part of the book: "I was confused by the blast wave. My ears were buzzing. Firstly, there was silent for a few minutes. Surroundings that I looked, I saw a boy at eight to ten years, with a white undershirt, was lying on a sidewalk in front of the pastry. At first, I thought maybe he was unconscious because he had been frightened or suffering from shock wave. I hugged and brought him inside the pastry and poured some water on his face. I was very impressed by the scene as I did not know what to do. When I sprinkled water on his face, I realized his ripped and bloody chest. Shrapnel had been struck exactly on his heart. At once my hands became feeble, I sat on the floor of the store unconsciously, I could not believe that this innocent kid was martyred.

I didn't found my clothes had been bloody. I amused by the heartbreaking scenes. I had lost my tongue. I couldn't get up, some people believing that I was wounded, wanted to take me to the hospital. They took my arms to lifting me. At once, I realized it and said I was good and it was nothing!"

Those 18 days

"Va Dase Pati (by empty-handed)"[2] is a documentary about Dehloran area. Such researches are one of the subsets of oral history and this book is an example of it that appears the author has been able to execute it well.

Jafar Nazari, the author of the book, restates Dehloran and its surroundings events before disposed war of Saddam's army against Iran, especially in a period of 18 days from the beginning of the war. The study and documentary was conducted closely and in the form of interview with Dehloran and Musian people, Veterans, freedmen and different groups of people such as state staffs, and it in accordance gathering documents caused the author gain more details which had been ignored before the study.

The book includes chapters "Dehloran; Deprivation and Revolutionary Struggle," "War, homelessness and Resistance" and "Documents and Photos". In the first chapter, the author outlines the history of Dehloran, its status during the Pahlavi regime and then revolutionary struggle and the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the process of beginning the imposed war, Dehloran prisoners of war before the war and martyrdom of Iran's border guards.

In second season, he narrates and addresses 18 days of conflicts in Dehloran and areas close to it. ... in the chapter which is the main chapter of the book, he pays attention to subjects such as importance of Dehloran, Musian and Fakkeh axis, bombards, situation of habitants and their effect on the sacred defense, the important surroundings areas, being confined the enemy in the region, and narrating martyrdom of people and warriors.

As well as to document the narratives, information of source and name of the narrator are referred in footnotes. Of the narrators are Muhammad Kurd, Yadullah Nazari, Yar Mohammad Shiri, Ataullah Moradi, Amir Sayyed Mojtaba Thahami, Fateh Hamidi, Sadeq Akbari, Seyed Sadegh Hosseini, J. Kheital, Hassan Barati, Karam Alirezaee, Ali yari and other witnesses. Some of the stories are also of the martyrs and derived from their books or interviews.

The final part of the book is dedicated to documents and photos. In this part, there are photos of martyrs, freedmen, documents of sending martyrs Islamic tax to the office of Imam Khomeini, expulsion of resident Iranians in Iraq, Dehloran militia in the early days of the revolution, presence of the leader in Dehloran, Dehloran youth team, views of the Dehloran and Musian during the imposed war especially important neighborhoods such as shrines, Jama Masjid and palm groves.