Heroes of the 8-year Holy Defence (2)

Welcome to the second part of our special series on the occasion of the Holy Defence Week marking start of the 8 year war imposed in 1980 by the US through its agent Saddam of the tyrannical Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad.

Yesterday’s edition of Heroes of the 8-year Holy Defence, focused on the achievements of the martyred defence minister, Mostafa Chamran, and today we present the exploits of two teenaged Iranian students Behnam Mohammadi of Khorramshahr, and Mohammad Hussain Fahmideh of Karaj, who along with the youth and elders of Khorramshahr put up a 34-day resistance against the might of the Ba’thist war machine.

The Basij forces are made up of people from all walks of life, including university and school students. It were these students who became commanders during the imposed war and enacted epics at the battlefronts. From 1980 to 1988, at least 366,697 students participated in the defence of the country, of whom 17,296 achieved martyrdom, 2,328 became disabled, 1,110 were taken captives and 2,063 have been listed as missing.

Behnam Mohammadi was a mere 13-year when the war started, and instead of fleeing in the face of the invading forces, he decided to stay in the city, providing help to the combatants and helping the injured. The defenders had only light arms, but used them skillfully, along with molotov cocktails to keep the enemy forces at bay for over a month. Behnam was involved in reconnaissance operations, and as the various quarters of the city fell one by one to the invaders, he and his group of youth provided important information to the seniors and helped ambush many of the Ba’this soldiers.

Clashes intensified in Arash Street. Behnam was injured, but refused to retreat. He held for the next few days until he achieved martyrdom. Despite his young age, he wrote a will, part of which reads: Although I am waiting for martyrdom every moment, I want my colleagues and countrymen to have faith in God. I appeal to parents to bring up their children for jihad in the way of God.

Among the characteristics of the Iranian defenders was profound faith in Islam and the Islamic system of government. It was this faith in God which had created a special spiritual atmosphere at the war fronts. Defeat for them had no sense. They did not fear death and this bravery made them resist the Ba’thist army, which was supported by at least 58 countries and equipped with sophisticated weapons.

Another hero who had just entered the teens and came all the way from Karaj near Tehran to fight the Ba’thist army was Mohammad Hussein Fahmideh. He is famous in the history of the holy defence. There is no one in Iran who has not heard his name. He achieved martyrdom on October 29. Fahmideh joined the Basij following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and when the war started he rushed to warfronts in the southern theatre.

This little hero was dissuaded by seniors against risking his life, but he did not give up. As a devotee of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him), he was dedicated to the defence of religion and homeland. He displayed bravery during the struggle for defence of Khorramshahr.

Along with his teenaged friend, Mohammad Reza Shams, he was active behind the front lines, providing assistance to the combatants and first aid to the injured. When Fahmideh saw a tank battalion of the enemy surround a group of Iranian combatants, he got hold of some grenades and rushed toward the tanks. A bullet injured his foot but was unable to stop him. He tucked the grenades in the belt around his waist and after pulling out their pints threw himself before an advancing tank. The result was a huge explosion.

Fahmideh was martyred but was able to blow the Ba’thist tank and its personnel. Crews of other tanks bewildered at the bravery of this youth left their tanks and fled. This provided the chance for the Iranian forces to break the siege of parts of Khorramshahr. The anniversary of his martyrdom is marked every year in Iran as “The Day of Student Basij”.

In a message on the occasion, Imam Khomeini said: “Our leader is that 12-year old child who with his young heart, which was far greater than hundreds of our tongues and pens, threw himself under the enemy’s tank with a grenade and destroyed it, thereby drinking the elixir of martyrdom.”

FK/AS/SS