Oral History News/April–May 2026
Translated by Kianoush Borzouei
2026-06-03
According to the Iran Oral History Website, News of the Month is a recurring feature that surveys developments related to oral history as reported in print and digital media. The following are selected oral history news items from April–May 2026.
An oral history interview with Professor Mokhtari Sabzevari was conducted by the Qom branch of the Foundation for Historical Research and the Encyclopedia of the Islamic Revolution. The interview explored aspects of his scholarly life, his migration to Najaf, his relationship with Imam Khomeini, his missionary experiences in India and Kashmir, and his assessment of intellectual and methodological challenges within Islamic seminaries.
The book From Guardianship to Martyrdom was unveiled in the presence of the Representative of the Supreme Leader to the Housing Foundation, along with officials, families of martyrs, and activists in the fields of sacrifice and resistance. Focusing on the memories of twenty-six martyrs, veterans, and self-sacrificing individuals, the work seeks to preserve a portion of the oral history of the Islamic Revolution in Gilan Province.
On the fortieth day following the martyrdom of Dr. Ali Larijani, the late Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, portions of his recorded memoirs preserved in the Oral History Archive of the Center for Islamic Revolution Documents were published for the first time.
The Director of the Bushehr Provincial Elite Foundation announced the launch of an oral history documentary on Professor Seyyed Alireza Mohaymeni, one of Bushehr’s most distinguished academic and educational figures.
The Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Artistic Affairs emphasized the importance of art-school instructors and stated that the oral history of the Fine Arts High School should be compiled as an essential component of the history of art education in Iran.
Concurrent with discussions regarding the monitoring of maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf, Ahmad Rabiei, Director of the Abadan Public Libraries Department, published a note examining the place of this body of water in Iran’s written oral history and reviewing historical records of maritime regulation from the Achaemenid era to the present day.
The Advisor to the Governor and Director-General of Public Relations of Kerman Province highlighted the role of the Iranian Red Crescent as a national and public institution, calling for the documentation of relief workers’ efforts through oral history projects and emphasizing media support as a prerequisite for enhancing societal preparedness.
The Director-General of the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Values in Qazvin announced that an oral history volume on the Ramadan war is being compiled to preserve and document the events of the war.
At the unveiling ceremony for the call for papers of the Fifth International Conference on the Oral History of the Sacred Defense and Resistance, the Head of the Sacred Defense Documents and Archives Organization emphasized that successful recording and compilation of oral history today requires broad cooperation among all sectors.
During the “Ordibehesht of Notables” ceremony in Hamadan, Ali Asghar Hamdieh, poet and oral history researcher, was honored for his contributions to the literary and cultural life of the province.
The book 1987 Days, the oral history of former prisoner of war Hojjat al-Islam Gholamhossein Komaili, written by Hojjat al-Islam Abbas Mahdavikhah, was published and unveiled at the closing ceremony of the Third Festival of Standard-Bearers of the Islamic Revolution, Sacred Defense, and Resistance in Mashhad.
A workshop entitled “Effective Interview Techniques in Narrating the Sacred Defense”, taught by Hamidreza Sadoughi and Ali Rostami, was held at the Women’s Seminary of Hormozgan Province.
The producer of the radio program A Thousand-Piece Mirror, which participated in the Pajvak Festival, explained that the program presents memories and stories associated with the “Glass Building” through a docudrama format and seeks to narrate the oral history of Iranian radio from a distinctive perspective.
The book The Leader’s Mosque, which recounts the oral history of Karamat Mosque in Mashhad and its revolutionary activities, reached its sixth printing during the Virtual Book Fair.
The unveiling ceremony for Hikayat al-Sayyid, the Arabic translation of the book Revayat-e Agha, was held on 14 May 2026. The work centers on the recollections of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, regarding the life of his father, Ayatollah Seyyed Javad Khamenei, and was attended by Iranian, Arab, and international guests.
Simultaneously with the Seventh Virtual Book Fair, the twenty-first edition of The Royan Story, an oral history account of the efforts of the late Saeed Kazemi Ashtiani in establishing, consolidating, and advancing the Royan Research Institute, was published by Rahyar Publications.
The Secretary of the Festival of Standard-Bearers of the Islamic Revolution, Sacred Defense, and Resistance stressed the necessity of documenting the role of the clergy in the Revolution, the Sacred Defense, and the Resistance Front, announcing that the recording of oral histories and memoirs of clerical veterans remains a priority.
At a press conference commemorating the forty-fourth anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr, the Deputy Head of the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense and Resistance Values stated that the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is presenting the oral history of veterans of Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas through television and written publications.
The first meeting of the National Specialized Oral History Forum, focusing on sustainability, resilience, the Sacred Defense, and resistance, was held through the cooperation of the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Values, the Armed Forces General Staff, and the Air Force Research Center, under the guidance of the Army’s Deputy for Science, Research, and Technology.
Number of Visits: 13
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