Sacred Defense Week (Iranian women, pioneers in Holy Defense)

The sacred religion of Islam highly honors and values women; and urges women to be involved in determination of their fate, like any other human being.

It is said that women grant meaning to life with the different roles that they play. Experts strongly believe that the presence of highly capable and knowledgeable women in families leads to appropriate upbringing of children, transforming children into self-made individuals. Moreover, women who take part in the community's affairs, further contribute to important and effective decision-makings.

The most important point about women's social activities is that the participation of them in social affairs should not lead to their degradation.

One of the aspects of participation of women, is their presence in the defense and military scenes. Within the history of Islam and the world, and throughout Iran's contemporary history, there are ample examples of presence and participation of women in wars and battles. Women have shown that the community, as a whole, needs the energy and capacity of all members of the community. Hence, women have attended the warfronts and battlefields, creating and registering legendary resistance and courage. Although, according to history, women combatants have been less in numbers in comparison to male combatants; the important fact is that throughout the defense of a nation against enemy troops, the presence of men in the battlefields has not been the only factor, which has secured victory. In fact, supporting male troopers; encouraging men to continuously attend warfronts; nursing the injured and treating wounds; and protection of the bastions behind the warfronts, directly influences the morale of the combatants, and even plays a decisive role in the fate of battles.

Women have had a pioneering role in Iran's Islamic Revolution, and have considered the participation of women in social activities within the advent of Islam, as a role model for themselves. Women maintained important responsibilities in the eight-year Sacred Defense, registering a fateful presence in the history of Islamic Revolution. The main defender of women in the advent of Islam was the venerable daughter of Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Fatemeh (SA). Hazrat Fatemeh, in the company of a group of women, took part in Ohod Battle. The venerable daughter of the Prophet of Islam, and fourteen other women were responsible for providing food and water; and tending the wounded in that battle, while taking care of Prophet Mohammad (Blessings of God upon him and his progeny), and the First Infallible Imam of the Prophet of Islam's Household, Imam Ali (Peace be upon him).

Throughout the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the defense conditions of Iran's Islamic community did not make it possible for women to directly take part in the battlefields. However, the sudden raids of Saddam's troops, especially in the early days of the imposed war to frontiers, in addition to aerial bombardment, and missile attacks, targeting Iranian cities, led to the direct confrontation of women with the enemy forces, boosting their morale and motivation for combat and defense. Thus, women's Basij Mobilization Force and its military and combat branch gradually took shape. In the early days of the imposed war, women pioneered, selflessly defending the sacred religion of Islam, the Islamic Revolution, and their beloved country in the southern Iranian cities, such as Khorramshahr, Abadan, Ahwaz, and Soosangerd.

While the enemy troops were intent on raiding the port city of Khorramshahr, and the residents gradually evacuated this city; the women Basiji forces prevented the immigration of their families, while safeguarding the ammunition stores and delivering them to the Islamic combatants. Meanwhile, the headquarters of a number of these courageous women was the Jame'eh Mosque of Khorramshahr.

Within the Haajishah Family, the daughter of this family pioneered for the warfronts. In the early days of the imposed war, Shahnaz receives military training, takes up arms, makes a bastion, and also helps the wounded, while ultimately attaining martyrdom in a mortar attack. Following her martyrdom, her brothers attend the battlefronts, courting martyrdom, one after the other.

Zahra Husseini was a 17-year-old girl, throughout the Iraqi imposed war. When it was announced that the bodies of some of the martyrs have been taken to the cemetery, she rushed toward there, taking part in the ritual washing of the bodies of martyrs and their burial. She delivered food to the personnel of the cemetery, was trained for relief and rescue missions, and took part in a number of activities, such as relief operations, carrying the wounded, repairing and preparing weapons, cooking and distributing goods. Her sole goal was to serve people. Her father and brother were martyred in defending the port city of Khorramshahr. She was also wounded in the battlefield, and a shrapnel hit her spinal cord. She has endured the side-effects of this injury, ever since. Her story has been cited in a book, which has been published several times, drawing the admiration of readers for the selfless and devoted activities of this courageous female combatant of the Sacred Defense era.

Women took part in defending and safeguarding the values and ideals of the Islamic Revolution, contributing to the steadfastness against the foes.

The Founder of Islamic Republic of Iran, late Imam Khomeini (May his soul rest in peace) was further resolved to continue the Sacred Defense upon observing the steadfastness and initiative of Iranian women in the scene of defense.

The fact of the matter is that during the Sacred Defense era, Iranian women displayed the identity of vigilant Muslim women, who have taken part in a holy and meaningful defense.

In addition to the presence of women in the warfronts, they also carried out a wide range of relief operations, in order to support the courageous Iranian combatants. Throughout the imposed war, women handed over their jewelries and precious belongings to warfronts, participating in political, social, and cultural activities, and showing the glorious presence of women in the eight-year Sacred Defense. In this manner, Iranian women created the eternal epic of victory of the Islamic Iran, after eight years of Sacred Defense, in the company of courageous and resilient Iranian combatants.

AS/ME