Experts’ Answers to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/5

We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.

Raised During the Book Review Session:

Complete Harmony Between Narrator and Author; the Defining Hallmark of “Beyond the Wall”

According to the Oral History website, the book-review workshop for Beyond the Wall: The Occupation of the U.S. Embassy as Recounted by Habibollah Bitafar, written by Mohammad Mahbubi, was held on the afternoon of Monday, 12 Aban 1404, with the presence of Hamid ...

Pepper Fragrance

A Self-Ethnographic Account of a Journey to Pakistan’s Balochistan Province

“Before the trip, I Googled Quetta, Pakistan. All it gave me—top to bottom—were news of bombings and terrorist operations. I blamed it on Persian-language limitations. Who could have imagined that I would spend a whole day and night traveling and sharing meals with a smuggler?! It never crossed my mind that Pakistan’s security police ...

Challenges of Interviewing in Oral History

After years of studying the theoretical foundations of oral history, conducting numerous interviews and going through their post-interview stages, as well as reading the available body of oral history literature, I was eventually given the opportunity to evaluate the edited versions of dozens of oral history projects.

Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 5

In 1980, the Ba'athist regime of Iraq expelled thousands of Iraqi families to Iran, claiming that they were of Iranian origin and responsible for numerous acts of sabotage in Iraq. This deportation was carried out with extraordinary cruelty and brutality. A large number of innocent people were arrested and imprisoned, and their movable and immovable property was confiscated. Women, the elderly, and children were then ...

Experts Answer Oral History Questions

100 Questions/ 4

We asked several researchers and practitioners in the field of oral history to share their views on key questions in this field. The name of each participant appears at the beginning of their response. All responses will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new perspectives on a shared issue and to promote academic dialogue in the field of oral history.

Book Review:

An Sooye Divar (Beyond the Wall)

The Capture of the American Embassy by Habibollah Bitarf

A review session for the book “Beyond the Wall” was held on Monday, November 3rd, 2025, in the presence of the narrator, editor, and researchers at the Tahereh Saffarzadeh Hall of the Hozeh Honari. Below is the text of Hassan Beheshtipour’s speech at the session.

The Delineation of Imagination and Reality in Memoir Writing

From Nowhere-Land to Utopia

In every society, the past persists not only in documents and recorded events, but within memories, narratives, and the collective imagination of the people. What is registered as memory or oral history is often a combination of factual experience and mental reconstruction. Drawing on the concept of imagination in the philosophy of history and memory ...

Unveiling of the book: “Oral History: What and Why” — Report 2 (Final)

According to the Oral History website, the unveiling ceremony for the book “Oral History: What and Why” by Hamid Ghazvini was held on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at the Salman Farsi Hall of the Art Bureau, with the presence of experts in the field of oral history. In the first part of the program, Alireza Kamari, a researcher in oral history, briefly ...
 

Mohammad — The Messiah of Kurdistan

Boroujerdi immediately said to Darvish, “Ready a few men; we’re going.” Then he moved toward Mostafa, who was studying the Kurdistan map. Mostafa straightened his back and said, “During my service in the army I experienced a full-scale war in Kurdistan. Guerrilla warfare in Kurdistan follows its own rules. The anti-revolutionary commanders want to draw us into a battle chosen on their terms.”

From Javanrud to Piranshahr

The Memoir of Reza Mohammadinia
The book From Javanrud to Piranshahr recounts the life and struggles of Commander Reza Mohammadinia, who spent part of the Iran–Iraq War in the western and northwestern regions of the country. During those years, he held responsibilities such as deputy commander of the Seventh Region of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), acting head of the Javanrud district, service on the southern fronts, director of ...
A Critical and Scholarly Study of Dr. Hossein Alaei’s Two-Volume Book:

Tactical and Strategic Analysis and Limitations

The present paper, entitled “A Critical and Scholarly Study of Dr. Hossein Alaei’s Two-Volume Book: Tactical and Strategic Analysis and Limitations”, is a research work that examines and evaluates the two-volume book “An Analytical History of the Iran-Iraq War”. In this study, the strengths and weaknesses of the work are analyzed from the perspectives of content critique, methodology, and sources.