Oral History News – Aban 1404
(October 23 – November 21, 2025)Translated by Kianoush Borzouei
2025-12-16
According to the Iranian Oral History website, “Monthly News” is the title of a recurring series of reports published on this platform. These reports survey news items related to the site’s thematic focus as reflected in print and digital media. Below is a selection of oral-history-related news from Aban 1404 (October 23 – November 21, 2025).
The unveiling ceremony for the book “Oral History: Its Nature and Methodology” by Hamid Qazvini was held on Sunday afternoon, 4 Aban 1404 (Oct. 26, 2025), in the Salman Farsi Hall of the Artistic sect of the Islamic republic, attended by leading scholars and experts in the field of oral history.
At a ceremony honoring contributors to the Fourteenth National Sacred Defense Book Exhibition and the Twelfth North Khorasan Book Exhibition, the Coordinating Deputy of the Basij Organization of the Oppressed stated that the process of book writing and documenting the oral history of the Sacred Defense must be liberated from bureaucratic and governmental frameworks and returned to the heart of society.
In a specialized workshop on the oral history of the Sacred Defense and Resistance—organized by the Documents and Research Management of the General Directorate for the Preservation and Publication of the Values of the Sacred Defense and Resistance of Khuzestan Province, and taught by Yahya Niazi, writer and researcher—the latest methodologies for recording and documenting oral history were reviewed.
The unveiling ceremony of the book “The Trench of Success (Towfigh),” which presents the oral history of Towfigh Mosque during the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defense, was held on 7 Aban (Oct. 29, 2025) at Towfigh Mosque through the efforts of the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of the Values of the Sacred Defense.
The Publications Department of the National Archives and Library Organization of Iran has published and released the book “A Manual of Oral History,” prepared by faculty members, researchers, and experts of the Documents Research Institute, in 132 pages.
The Head of the Organization for the Preservation and Publication of the Values of the Sacred Defense of the IRGC and Basij announced that, to date, approximately 300 book titles in various fields—including biography, documentary writing, novels, life-history studies, and provincial oral histories—have been printed and published by this organization.
The Director General of the Art Bureau of Ilam Province, referring to the compilation of a collection of the province’s historical and cultural narratives, noted that this project—aimed at preserving oral history and safeguarding Ilam’s cultural heritage—is being prepared in cooperation with institutions involved in the Arbaeen pilgrimage, such as the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, Helal-e-Ahmar, and the University of Medical Sciences.
The Director of 27-e Be’that Publishing announced the forthcoming documentation and publication of the oral history of Commander Mohammad Hassan Mohaqqeqi in the near future.
With the aim of honoring the intangible heritage of great scholars and transmitting the scholarly experiences of past generations to the future, the Office of Documents and Heritage of the Khorasan Seminary organized a specialized course entitled “The Oral History of Scholars and Seminary leaders,” in collaboration with the Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza Jurisprudential Center.
A critical review session of the book “Oral History: Its Nature and Methodology” was held on Monday, 19 Aban (Nov. 10, 2025), in the Qasr-e Shirin Hall of the Sacred Defense Garden Museum, attended by Hamid Qazvini (the author), Mohammad Qasemi-Pour (critic), Yahya Niazi (critic), and Azizollah Mohammadi (session moderator).
The Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) emphasized the importance of documenting the agency’s oral history and urged journalists to record and preserve the valuable narratives of veteran professionals.
The Iranian Oral History Association, in cooperation with the Qom Center for Islamic Revolution Documents, will hold the Fifteenth Annual Oral History Conference under the theme of Oral History of Culture and Religion.
Abbas Qanbari-Baghestan, speaking on Saturday, 24 Aban (Nov. 15, 2025), at the “Warm Earth” meeting held at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in Zanjan on the occasion of Book Week, stressed the necessity of documenting the oral history of science and technology, stating that if the narratives of five decades of effort, challenges, and formative decisions shaping the country’s innovation ecosystem are not recorded, they will be buried with their bearers.
The unveiling ceremony of three books—“The Geometry of Battle,” “The Water War,” and “The Earthen Engineers”—from the Oral History of Combat Engineering in the Sacred Defense series was held on Sunday, 25 Aban (Nov. 16, 2025), in the Hoveyzeh Hall of the National Museum of the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defense.
The Managing Director of the National Museum of the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defense stated that the oral history of combat engineering forces in the Sacred Defense is not a slogan; engineering–combat work does not lend itself to speech—it must be realized on the ground, embodied in concrete action and practice.
A critical review session of the book “A Meeting unto Eternity,” the oral history of Dr. Mohammad Ali Taheri-Nejad written by Abbas Ranjbar, was held on 26 Aban (Nov. 17, 2025) at the Central Library of Yazd, with the participation of authors and experts in the field of Sacred Defense literature.
Akbar Sahraei, writer and instructor of narrative literature, at the educational session “Employing Oral History and Memoir in the Creation of Short Stories and Novels” in Yasuj, criticized the shortcomings of the classical educational system and the fading of the traditional school-based approach to nurturing writers. He emphasized the necessity of transmitting experience, fostering self-confidence among young writers, and reviving the master–apprentice model.
The Director General of Documents and Publications of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, stressing the need for multilayered protection of veterans’ documents, stated that with more than nine million written documents and 125,000 oral history interviews in its possession, the foundation is prepared to expand cooperation with the Organization for Sacred Defense Documents and Records.
The Secretary of the Thirty-Third Book Week announced on Monday, 26 Aban 1404 (Nov. 17, 2025), at the ceremony commemorating the Seventh National Week of Agricultural and Natural Resources Books, that the Iran Book and Literature House is ready to cooperate in establishing a Center for the Oral History of Agriculture.
The Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), referring to the remarkable progress of the Astan Quds Razavi Media Center and the development of new media infrastructures, described the transformation of pilgrims’ experiences from the pilgrimage of Imam Reza’s holy shrine into oral history as the most significant shared opportunity between the national media and Astan Quds Razavi.
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