OCCUPATION
به زبان فارسی
PICTORY
LATEST MUSIC
SEARCH
Remember Khooninshahr
29-Oct-2007
Barcelona, October 6, 2007. I am visiting a museum of photography on a warm autumn Sunday afternoon. I am attracted to the museum by a large vertical banner that advertises its latest exhibition: "Bahman Jalali" written in dramatic red letters.
I enter the exhibit and begin a journey to an exotic Iran of today & yesteryears: Fishermen of Boushehr, Seamen of Khalij, wrestlers of populous neighborhoods, all photographed brilliantly in black & white. In the center of the exhibit are two rooms. I enter the first and find myself in the middle of a slideshow. Four young Catalans, with serious faces, are talking among themselves as each image is displayed. A young Middle Eastern woman is quietly sobbing.
The first photo I see is that of a torso, torn in half, lying by a dirt-filled trench. I am shocked. The next photo appears but the last lingers in my mind. The images are highly graphic. They show a city reduced to rubble. More than that... they are apocalyptic: Ordered Rows of charred palms; Fields of vertically planted burnt automobiles, perhaps to prevent paratroopers landing...
A sign welcoming the road visitor to Khorramshahr... population 149,000. The sign is the only vestige of a highway. Despite being in black and white, the photos do not resemble the historic images of other older wars. They are in sharp focus and full of contrast. They could have been taken yesterday.
As evident from his photographs, Bahman Jalali had extensively travelled the south of Iran prior to the Revolution, and he visited Khorramshahr in 1982 immediately after it was freed from Iraqi occupation.
The images capture the effects of a bloody occupation that resulted in the official changing of the city's name to Khooninshahr. Khorram can mean joyous or flourishing. Khoonin means bloody.
The struggle for khooninshahr, street to street, house to house, and hand to hand, consumed many brave civilians and defenders. Its liberation, in face of chemical warfare, was also bloody. It was our Guernica, our Stalingrad, our Hanoi. Many young souls, of whatever belief, sacrificed their lives for the liberation of a city.
I leave the museum muttering Simin Behbahani's poem about the city:
Benvis, Benvis, Benvis...
To the brave defenders of "khooninshahr" and all other bloodied cities of my homeland
Record, Record, Record: An Epic of resilience.
With the gloom of our days,
History, fill your lit chapter.
Record, with whatever means:
The tumult of Young and Old,
Wives and Children, parents and possessions,
Of lives bestowed.
Record: a stone thrown,
Even by a child, playing.
Record: the blow of a pick axe,
Even the aged lending a hand.
Record: it was dismembered
The ivory limb from its body;
Still wearing golden charms,
Still bearing adorned nails.
Record a doll's plight:
Blood-soaked like its owner.
This, with its dusty form,
That, with dirt filled eyes.
Record how the brush dove
No more enjoyed flight.
Fearful, whirling always at heights,
Much like the predatory hawks.
Record how the cat's eyes,
Betrayed panic and sorrow.
Mate and mating forsaken,
Cooks and kitchens forgotten.
Praise, Praise the Brave
The Lionhearted, the Hero.
Exalt, exalt the death
Those guardians of the Land.
Record those who uttered:
"Either death or glory",
Who bravely pressed on till Death.
Record, yes, Record.
November 1980
| Recently by Korosh.Khalili | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Secular Modern Persian Wedding Vows | 4 | Nov 24, 2012 |
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
I believe all those who have
by Arash_2007 (not verified) on Tue Oct 30, 2007 09:18 AM PDTI believe all those who have comments here so until now are the best of all who come to internet. Thanks for your family values and showing that you care.
Afarin va dorood bar sarbaazaane mihandooste delaavar dar har rango lebaas.
It was just heroic
by Alborzi (not verified) on Tue Oct 30, 2007 07:30 AM PDTI am one of those Iranians that when I heard Iraq had captured Khoramshahr, I gave up and could not imagine Iran had a chance. All the "civilized" (the ones who now demand Iran
give up) were on Iraq side. Iran took it back by heroic sacrifice. I truly believe that Shah with his Army could never defeat all the west. The Iranians had a heroic sacrifice.
RE: cyrus80
by Midwesty on Tue Oct 30, 2007 06:53 AM PDTYou are absolutely right we had no one. However it drives me nuts when I think a war with that magnitude and impact had been misrepresented so much or for the most part been forgotten. Do you know how much been written about the battel of Stalingrad or Hanoi? Anah mazloomaneh jangeedand, koshteh shodand va faramoosh shodand.
Amazing footage!
by Kamangir on Tue Oct 30, 2007 02:35 AM PDTTurn on your speakers as well!
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukGL2K9Me4U
Rooze Sevom
by Kamangir on Tue Oct 30, 2007 02:19 AM PDTThe recent Iranian film 'Rooze sevom' is one of the best and beautiful films made about the Iraqi invasion of Khorramshahr and the civil resistance. I liked it very much. You can download it from:
www.persianbase.com
Once you have downloaded it and when you try to open the realone file, you have the enter the password: www.persianbase.com, just as it is. I know this is only a film but there're very good footages of how civilians defended their city, without any real support from the government or other parts of the country.
korosh and midwest
by cyrus80 (not verified) on Tue Oct 30, 2007 01:30 AM PDTyes i to love that
"It was our Guernica, our Stalingrad, our Hanoi"
it was truelt our stalingrad except that sovjet had they allies on their side and we had no one on our side except some ME country.
but the world were on saddams side,
Thank you Korosh
by Anonymous49 (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 08:48 PM PDTAs someone who witnessed the devastation first hand and lived in the area for 20 years...NEVER AGAIN WE WILL LOOSE SUCH YOUNG MAN AND BRAVE SOLDIERS WHO GAVE THEIR LIFE FOR OUR FREEDOM AND DIGNITY. Even if it means, building any type of deterence to protect this nation from invaders at any cost, I am all for it. If anyone had seen the damages and the loss of life...you would do anything to prevent the next devastation!!
I just hope those Iranians
by Ahvazi2 (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 06:21 PM PDTI just hope those Iranians living abroad, who ask for or agree with the attack of the US or Israel, get a chance to see or read some of the tales from the war we had with Iraq, before making their mind.
I am sure MKO will never forget it ....
by A G (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 06:13 PM PDTAt the time that Khoramshar was being turned into khooninshahr, MKO leader Rajavi was kissing Saddam's ass calling him "pedar Saddam". They probably will never forget that. Nor will the Iranian nation.
A G
Great Post Koorosh. Bravo
by Arash_2007 (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:46 AM PDTGreat Post Koorosh. Bravo ham-mihan
I saw the book by another Khalili
He dedicated the book to those who freed Khoramshahr. The book was published Last year in US and I read it upon recommendation by one of my colleagues. It is titled: Life as it happens:short stories. Dr. Khalili obviously was affected by war and he shows that he clearly hated Saddam and clearly he condemns those who supported him.If every Persian reads it then Americans will follow and they will get educated. Oh, he is not shy talking about Bahrain history either. Every short story has some facts that make you feel proud. I suppose the author is your relative. If not, fine. You both have strong feelings for humanity and justice.
Keep up the good work.
Bravo.
Thanks Korosh
by Midwesty on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:31 AM PDTI loved this:
"It was our Guernica, our Stalingrad, our Hanoi"
Thanks a lot! You made my day!