In the previous program we talked about the stiff resistance of Iranian youths in defending their homeland with almost empty hands. One of the most brilliant and tragic chapters of this resistance was created by the youths of Khorramshahr, a port in south of Iran near the Iraqi borders.

Defenders of Khorramshahr hold several Iraqi army battalions and brigades behind the city gates for 34 days. One of the brave defenders of Khorramshahr was the 13-year old student named Behnam Mohammadi. Behnam was born in the house of his grandfather in Khorramshahr in 1967. In September 1980, when the rumor of the Iraqi invasion of Khorramshahr spread everywhere, Behnam could never believe that Khorramshahr would fall in the hand of the Iraqis, but the war had really begun. He decided to stay in the city and during the bombardment of the city Behnam rushed to help the injured. Khorramshahr defenders had stood against the Iraqis with Molotov cocktail and light weapons.

Behnam was involved in reconnaissance operations, several times he had said: I am looking for my mother, I lost her, and the Iraqi Ba'athist soldiers did not think that a 13-year old child would embark on reconnaissance, so they let him go. The city had fallen in the hand of the Iraqis. In every house there were a number of Ba'athist soldiers who were in ambush or resting. Behnam identified and remembered the homes that were full of Iraqis. After identifying the site of gathering of Ba'ath soldiers, Behnam informed the defenders of Khorramshahr. There was heavy mortar shells in the city and clashes intensified in a street called Arash. As usual, Behnam came; and suddenly a number of the city’s defenders realized that Behnam was injured and his blue shirt was quite bloody. A few days before the fall of Khorramshahr, the brave youth of Khorramshahr was martyred.

He wrote a testament despite his little age. In part of the testament he states: “I want to make a declaration. I am waiting for martyrdom at every moment. I want my colleagues not to leave Imam Khomeini alone and not to forget God. Put your trust in God. I appeal to parents to bring up their children for jihad in the path of God."

 One of the characteristics of the 8-year holy defense of the Iranian youths was their deep belief and faith in God. It was this faith in God that had created a special spiritual atmosphere in the battlefields. For them, defeat did not make sense. They did not fear death and this enabled them to withstand the Iraqi Ba'athist army with the fewest facilities. An army that was financially, militarily, politically and intelligence-wise supported by 58 countries from two western and eastern blocs, was forced to withdraw from all the occupied territories, despite being equipped with advanced weapons.

Another famous hero in resistance against the Iraqi Ba'athist army was called Mohammad Hussein Fahmideh. Like Behnam Mohammadi, Mohammmad Hossein Fahmideh was 13 years old. Unlike Behnam Mohammamdi, Fahmideh was not from the southern province of Khuzestan, but he was born in Qom. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and formation of Basij volunteer forces in November 1979 upon the order of Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him), Fahmideh joined the Basij. This young hero, concurrent with the outbreak of the war, went to the southern war fronts on Iraqi border. He was the disciple of Imam Khomeini the great leader of the Islamic revolution of Iran. After sending Mohammad Hussein back from battlefront for his young age, he said: “Do not bother yourself, if the Imam says I am prepared to go anywhere, I have to serve my country.”

Despite oppositions, Mohammad Hussein returned once again to the war fronts in southern Iran. At the front line, Mohammad Hussein along with his friend Mohammad Reza Shams was in the same trench. Mohammed Reza was injured and Mohammad Hussein with much difficulty brought him behind the warfront and returned to his previous position. Observing the attack of the Iraqi tanks, Mohammad Hussein moved to them with some grenades at his hand and tying some around his waist. A bullet injured his leg. However, this could not create any disruption in his firm will. Therefore, he continued without any hesitation and moved to the advancing tank, he used the grenade and blew it up and achieved martyrdom.

After the explosion of the tank, the Iraqi forces thought that the Iranians had launched a new attack. Therefore, they soon left all the tanks and fled. As a result, the siege was broken and after a while, the auxiliary forces arrived. In a message on the second anniversary of victory of the Islamic revolution, Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him) said: "Our leader is that 13-year-old teen who, with his small heart whose value is greater than hundreds of tongues and pens, cast himself under the enemy's tank and destroyed it and drank the elixir of martyrdom." With these words, Hossein Fahmidah and his sacrifice was registered forever in the glorious history of Iran. The remains of the martyr Mohammad Hussein Fahmideh's body were buried in Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.

RM/SS