Dasht-e Abbas

This book is a collection of memories written by Mohammadreza Khalili, the son of a national martyr. One day, his father brought a bundle tied in printed chintz cloth to the Office of Resistance Literature and Art, with several rolled-up posters of various sizes tucked inside. He said, “All of these are the writings of my martyred son. He was a university student and was martyred during Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas…”

Hojjat Irevani read all of the writings and selected the sections containing Khalili’s frontline notes. One passage reads: “After the Duʿāʾ-e Nudba, they lined us up. Physical exercise after the morning assembly was the next program. Our supervisor, Sergeant Soleimani, was very strict. He made everyone run for forty minutes, then led stretching exercises. After the morning ceremony, we went to class. Our first lesson was on grenades and hand bombs. Before noon, Soltani spoke a bit about prayer and ablution. The boys listened carefully to what he said. In the afternoon, we attended the guerrilla warfare class. That day, Sergeant Soleimani said, ‘In a few days, you will be sent to the front for an operation. At night, all the boys gathered and recited Ziyarat Ashura. Soltani, Imani, and several others led the recitation. That night, the boys were in a special spiritual state.”