Teamed memory telling shields Sacred Defense from distortion

Head of Sacred Defense Values and Relics Preservation and Publication Foundation said the center is seriously considering expansion of teamed memory telling.

IBNA: The closing ceremony of the first Sacred Defense National Conference for Memoir Writing was held February 1, 2012, at Soureh Hall of Howzeh Honari in the presence of a number of top memoir writers of the Sacred Defense in provincial festivals, and high-profile military officials.

"It is years, now, that a campaign for Sacred Defense memoir telling and recording has initiated and many works with different qualities are produced every year in the country with the aim of disseminating Sacred Defense message," said Commander Seyyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh, head of the Sacred Defense Values and Relics Preservation and Publication Foundation, in his keynote speech. "The audience of such memoirs gets to know about different dates and fundamentals of the Sacred Defense, its martyrs and commanders."

He marked war memories as the spring of creativity for other written works and asserted that such memories have profound application in creating insight, attraction and endeavor among writers.

Begharzadeh went on to say that such memories protect the social dignity of the Iranian nation saying that everyone should be constantly informed about the value of Sacred Defense memories.

He further highlighted the Supreme Leader's remarks about recording and registering war memoirs and added, "we are holding the national memoir writing congress to formalize the current. We must provide the grounds for interested and talented individuals to air their memories of the war."

He further insisted the need for safeguarding Sacred Defense memoirs from unintentional distortion. "Only the narrator's presence in the fronts is proof to their sayings."

He further expressed sorrow over the absence of an integrated research work based on Sacred Defense and war memories. "Research works on the issue should become organized and managed."

He also criticized disuse of original war memories in creation of exquisite works of art and stated "Sacred Defense subjects can and should be presented in the form artistic works to become permanent."

Elsewhere in his remarks, Bagherzadeh stated that teamed memory telling projects are underway in the provinces of Kerman and Hamedan by the foundation as a means to shield war memories from distortion.

He finalized his address by highlighting the need to collect accounts of the war from foreign agents and experts.

Further in the ceremony, literature and publication deputy of the foundation presented a report on the congress saying that as many as 12,000 works were submitted to the secretariat of the congress to be screened by the panel of judges led by Commander Hamid Hesam.

The select memoirs of the festival will be published as book, added Colonel Hassan Rasouli.