Ramadhan in War:

A Female Fighter

Navideshahed: Five days before the start of the holy Ramadan month we had fasts because of the victory of war veterans. The above sentence is a section of the memories of Shamsi Sobhani who was present in the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1985.

News ID: ۳۶۱۲۴۷

دوشنبه - ۰۶ آبان ۲۰۱۲ / 2012 06 August

In an exclusive interview with an ISNA reporter she says: After the victory of Islamic Revolution, a war was imposed to our country so immediately. Since preserving the continuity of revolutionary values during the eight year was so significant, I was dispatched to the war as a member of the Health Care Personnel.

I was 28 years old that I joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in 1979. From that time I served in the registration section of the Basijis for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Before joining the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, I got my diploma and by passing an exam I was accepted for Teacher Training University, but due to some revolutionary activities, I did not register my name in this center. I can remember that in that year my brother said: “At least you would study for a year and then you could continue your education after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.”?

After the victory of Islamic revolution, I was accepted for the university once again. But this time I was accepted in the nursing field and in Shahid Beheshti University. I accomplished the training courses at Jorjani Hospital and after that I graduated with the degree of Advanced Diploma. Gradually the movements of anti-revolutionary militants and Komala and democrats were increased in the west and northwest of Iran; everyday we could hear from the news that some of the Iranian war veterans would be injured or martyred. Since I and some of my friends had been the graduates of nursing and since we were so excited to work in this field, the authorities of the clinic for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps including Dr. Paknezhad and Dr. Razi agreed that we get present in the west of Iran.

Finally, we were dispatched to Sanandaj city in the April 1980. At that time Sanandaj has been fully controlled by the anti-revolutionary militants that is why the forces and war veterans had stationed in the airport of Sanandaj city. In the Ramadan month of 1980, I was with the war veterans in this airport and I would serve as a nurse. But I will never forget the Ramadan month of 1982, because at that time I was in a health center in Takhti Health Center of Ahvaz city. Also in that year, the number of the operations had been increased so much and accordingly, some of the Iranian war veterans were injured during the attacks and air raids which would take place by the enemy. In that year, I along with those friends who were nurses fasted for five days before the start of Ramadan month, because we wished the Islamic forces to get a victory.

In the Ramadan month of 1982 that I was in the hospital of Shahid Kalantari located in Andimeshk city, the days were so long and we had 17 hours fasting during the days. Imam Khomeini in that year had said that those war veterans who are in the war are not obliged to have fasts if they don’t have the power to do that, but most of the war veterans would go on fasting due to the resistance and patience that he had and due to the belief that they had in God.

When we were in Shahid Kalantari hospital, the nurses after their working shift would rest for a few hours and then they would come to the dress washing unit of the hospital in order to wash the dresses of the hospital. In order to prevent mixing the clothes of the surgery rooms with the uniforms of the frontiers, we would wash them separately and it was a very tough and difficult work and it would take so much time as well. Fore example they would bring a truck full of military uniforms from the frontiers in order to wash them. Fortunately some of the families of the war veterans from Dezful city would come to the center and they would help us in washing the uniforms. We would help each other in washing the uniforms by uttering the formula of praise.

During the Ramadan months that we were present in the battlefields, we would use any types of the foods that we had available in the war, for example if someday we did not have good fords for Iftar (meal for breaking day fasting), we would drink hot water or sweet tea and we would eat breads only.

The End

In an exclusive interview with an ISNA reporter she says: After the victory of Islamic Revolution, a war was imposed to our country so immediately. Since preserving the continuity of revolutionary values during the eight year was so significant, I was dispatched to the war as a member of the Health Care Personnel. I was 28 years old that I joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in 1979. From that time I served in the registration section of the Basijis for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Before joining the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, I got my diploma and by passing an exam I was accepted for Teacher Training University, but due to some revolutionary activities, I did not register my name in this center. I can remember that in that year my brother said: “At least you would study for a year and then you could continue your education after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.”? After the victory of Islamic revolution, I was accepted for the university once again. But this time I was accepted in the nursing field and in Shahid Beheshti University. I accomplished the training courses at Jorjani Hospital and after that I graduated with the degree of Advanced Diploma. Gradually the movements of anti-revolutionary militants and Komala and democrats were increased in the west and northwest of Iran; everyday we could hear from the news that some of the Iranian war veterans would be injured or martyred. Since I and some of my friends had been the graduates of nursing and since we were so excited to work in this field, the authorities of the clinic for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps including Dr. Paknezhad and Dr. Razi agreed that we get present in the west of Iran. Finally, we were dispatched to Sanandaj city in the April 1980. At that time Sanandaj has been fully controlled by the anti-revolutionary militants that is why the forces and war veterans had stationed in the airport of Sanandaj city. In the Ramadan month of 1980, I was with the war veterans in this airport and I would serve as a nurse. But I will never forget the Ramadan month of 1982, because at that time I was in a health center in Takhti Health Center of Ahvaz city. Also in that year, the number of the operations had been increased so much and accordingly, some of the Iranian war veterans were injured during the attacks and air raids which would take place by the enemy. In that year, I along with those friends who were nurses fasted for five days before the start of Ramadan month, because we wished the Islamic forces to get a victory. In the Ramadan month of 1982 that I was in the hospital of Shahid Kalantari located in Andimeshk city, the days were so long and we had 17 hours fasting during the days. Imam Khomeini in that year had said that those war veterans who are in the war are not obliged to have fasts if they don’t have the power to do that, but most of the war veterans would go on fasting due to the resistance and patience that he had and due to the belief that they had in God. When we were in Shahid Kalantari hospital, the nurses after their working shift would rest for a few hours and then they would come to the dress washing unit of the hospital in order to wash the dresses of the hospital. In order to prevent mixing the clothes of the surgery rooms with the uniforms of the frontiers, we would wash them separately and it was a very tough and difficult work and it would take so much time as well. Fore example they would bring a truck full of military uniforms from the frontiers in order to wash them. Fortunately some of the families of the war veterans from Dezful city would come to the center and they would help us in washing the uniforms. We would help each other in washing the uniforms by uttering the formula of praise. During the Ramadan months that we were present in the battlefields, we would use any types of the foods that we had available in the war, for example if someday we did not have good fords for Iftar (meal for breaking day fasting), we would drink hot water or sweet tea and we would eat breads only. The End