Excerpts from the Memoirs of Martyr Seyyed Asadollah Lajevardi

First Encounter with the Mojahedin-e Khalq

One day, four members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq from Tabriz—who had been affiliated with Mohammad Hanifnejad —were brought into the prison. These were individuals we had long yearned to connect with, to bask in the radiance of their spiritual glory and revolutionary dedication. In complete sincerity, I laid out the prison atmosphere and the ...

Morteza Tavakoli Narrates Student Activities

I am from Isfahan, born in 1336 (1957). I entered Mashhad University with a bag of fiery feelings and a desire for rights and freedom. Less than three months into the academic year, I was arrested in Azar 1355 (November 1976), or perhaps in 1354 (1975). I was detained for about 35 days. The reason for my arrest was that we gathered like-minded students in the Faculty of Literature on 16th of Azar ...

A narration from the event of 17th of Shahrivar

Early on the morning of Friday, 17th of Shahrivar 1357 (September 17, 1978), I found myself in an area I was familiar with, unaware of the gathering that would form there and the intense reaction it would provoke. I had anticipated a march similar to previous days, so I ventured onto the street with a tape recorder I had brought back from my recent trip abroad.

An Excerpt from the Memoirs of War Veteran Ali Seffati

Khizr

In the final days of Esfand (late March), news arrived from the Karbala Headquarters instructing us to swiftly dismantle all our installations and proceed toward the western front. The announcement was both abrupt and unexpected. Our first destination was Ahvaz, where we were to receive further instructions. Brother Jokar was entrusted with leading the first convoy, while I was to assume responsibility ...

Ayatollah Salehi Najafabadi narrates exile to Mahabad

A few days after being summoned to the Tuyserkan police station and threatened by its chief, they handed us a letter from Qom. The letter was from a commission that had originally signed the exile orders for 26 people. It stated that we should pack our belongings and go from Tuyserkan to Mahabad to continue our exile. It was mid-summer, 1354 (late August 1975) when we had to move.

Escaping the military to influence other military personnel

Based on the assessments I had made, I decided to run away again, and this runaway was a public announcement to hurt the morale of other soldiers. So I thought that when I run away from my unit with this job and that situation, this would have more effect than a hundred circulars and announcements, and it would be published sooner and reach everyone, and everyone would publicly understand that among ...

An Excerpt from the Memoirs of Commander Mohammad Jafar Asadi

It was after the meeting that I stood with Asghar Kazemi, the operations officer, and, acting on Rashid’s orders, we set out to locate a site for Fath Headquarters—approximately fifty kilometers from Ahvaz in the direction of Abadan, near a village called Khezriyeh, situated to the east of the Karun River; precisely the region that constituted the operational domain of the Fath Command.

The text of the Imam’s declaration and the exemption from polytheists in 1969

In 1969, the Imam issued a declaration on the occasion of the Hajj period and included the verse of exemption from polytheists at the beginning of it and said: The Kaaba, the House of God and the House of Truth have been taken by the Israelis and you are watching. The US has taken the Kaaba.

Mourning for Faiziyeh Seminary

I remember that in Tehran, on the day of Ashura, I went to the pulpit in the Lorzadeh Mosque. I turned to people and said, "People! What are you so afraid of? What are you afraid of? Of dying? Of being shot? Hey people! Being shot is much better than cancer! We take a bullet and die and feel relieved, but when we are captured by cancer, we have to suffer for a lifetime and then die.

Gol Mohammad Shekari’s Memory

During the revolution days, I worked in the village bathhouse. I would hear the news of people’s demonstrations on the radio. Sometimes, I or someone else from the village would go to the city and witness the marches there. At that time, a teacher from the village was martyred in the city, and a large number of people went to Bojnourd to attend his funeral.
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Reza in Revolution

Memoirs of Hujjat al-Islam Reza Motalebi

Hujjat al-Islam Reza Motalebi is a cleric from Isfahan. Before the revolution, he was the imam of the Fallah Mosque – which was later renamed Abuzar Mosque. By his presence and efforts, Abuzar Mosque soon became a base for supporters of the Imam and the revolution. After the victory of the revolution, he played a role in uniting forces and maintaining political vitality in southwest Tehran.

The Necessity of Receiving Feedback in Oral History

Whenever we engage in a task, we naturally seek ways to evaluate our performance — to correct shortcomings and enhance strengths. Such refinement is only possible through the feedback we receive from others. Consider, for instance, a basketball player whose shots are consistently accurate; should he begin shooting blindfolded, his success rate would rapidly decline, as he would be deprived of essential feedback from each attempt.
Book Review

Sir Saeed

The book “Sir Saeed” is a documentary [narrative] of the life of martyr Seyyed Mohammad Saeed Jafari, written by Mohammad Mehdi Hemmati and published by Rahiyar Publications. In March 2024, this book was recognized as one of the selected documentary biographies in the 21st edition of the Sacred Defense Book of the Year Award. The following text is a review on the mentioned book.

Morteza Tavakoli Narrates Student Activities

I am from Isfahan, born in 1336 (1957). I entered Mashhad University with a bag of fiery feelings and a desire for rights and freedom. Less than three months into the academic year, I was arrested in Azar 1355 (November 1976), or perhaps in 1354 (1975). I was detained for about 35 days. The reason for my arrest was that we gathered like-minded students in the Faculty of Literature on 16th of Azar ...