Rereading the role of the Arab people of Khuzestan in the defense of Iran/ from nomadic jihad to resistance in the holy defense
The Institute of History and Culture of Diyar Khan examined the role of the Arab people of Khuzestan in the defense of Iran in a specialized meeting with the presence of Tahir Sobhani and Abdullah (Mohammed) Tarfawi, commanders during the eight-year imposed war, and Ali Balshi, one of the founders of the Sosangerd Corps.
The guests of the meeting, reciting historical and field experiences, talked about people's resistance against Iraqi aggression, the role of families and local forces, and the connection of Arab identity with national belonging.
People's resistance against Iraqi aggression
Referring to the early days of the war, Taher Sobhani talked about the difficult conditions of the people of Azadegan Plain, Sosangerd, Hoizeh, Khorramshahr and border villages; Areas where the residents faced an army equipped with tanks, artillery and aircraft, while some local defenders defended their land with limited weapons and ammunition.
According to Sobhani, people's participation was not only limited to armed presence; Transporting the wounded, delivering ammunition, helping families and supporting the defense forces also formed a part of the resistance.
He explained the motivation of this association in the connection between belonging to the homeland, religious beliefs, protection of the family and the role of tribal elders and clerics.
Sobhani also pointed to Iraq's attempt to exploit the Arab identity of the people of Khuzestan and considered the idea that the linguistic and cultural connection of the people of the region can separate them from Iran incompatible with the experience of resistance. In his narrative, the Arab people of Khuzestan, along with preserving their language and culture, defended the land where their home and life was rooted.
Families and women are part of the holy defense experience
Sobhani emphasized that the history of holy defense should not be limited only to the operations and the number of martyrs.
Displaced families, women who cared for children and the wounded, and people who returned to their homes after the destruction formed part of the experience of war.
He also mentioned the role of extended families, tribal elders, clergy and local trustees in helping and supporting the people. From this point of view, the resistance in Khuzestan, in addition to the presence of military forces, also depended on the support of the local community and social ties between the people.
"The history of the Arab people of Iran has been oppressed"
Abdullah (Mohammed) Tarfawi stated that the history of the Arab people of Iran has been oppressed, and emphasized the need to recognize the contribution of these people in the general history of the country.
Referring to his research on the jihad of the tribes against the British forces in 1914, he spoke about the background of resistance in Khuzestan and the role of personalities such as Sheikh Salman and Sheikh Jaber.
Tarafawi explained that the research on nomadic jihad started with very limited written sources and it was difficult to access some required documents. According to him, a large part of the information of this research was obtained from foreign sources, including the narratives of Germans present in the region at that time.
He further recalled the experience of defending the people of Azadegan Plain in the Iraq war against Iran and pointed to Saddam's calculation about the possibility of the Arab people of Khuzestan accompanying Iraq.
Recounting examples of people's resistance and families' sacrifice, Tarfawi found this idea incompatible with the field experience of the region and emphasized that the participation of the Arab people of Khuzestan in the defense of Iran should have a clearer reflection in the general narrative of the country's history.
oral history; Recording the memories of people and families
Referring to the activities carried out for the Azadegan Desert Martyrs' Memorial, Tarfawi said that during these activities, about 300 to 400 hours of tapes and interviews were collected from the people of the region. According to him, in addition to the fighters, these conversations also included the experience of women and families.
He emphasized the importance of recording the memories of witnesses and reminded that with the passing of time and the passing away of the generation present in the war, the possibility of accessing part of these experiences will disappear.
Tarafawi also considered it necessary to introduce lesser-known figures and strengthen the connection of universities and researchers with local history.
Formation of Dasht Azadegan Corps and participation of local forces
Ali Balshi, referring to his experience in the formation of the Azadegan Desert Corps, spoke about the conditions of the organization of the defense forces in the months before the war and its initial days.
According to him, he participated in this process at the invitation of the officials of the time, including Engineer Ebrahimi, and people such as Shahid Habib Sharifi and Nasser Rabieh were also present in his account of the formation of the initial structure of the IRGC.
Referring to the advance of Iraqi forces from the border axes towards Sosangard and Ahvaz, Balshi spoke about the lack of weapons and ammunition among the local defenders.
He also mentioned the cooperation of local forces with other defenders and the presence of figures such as Martyr Ali Hashemi and Martyr Seyyed Hamid Taqavi in the region's resistance experience.
According to Balshi, in the early days of the war, the lack of equipment and video documentation made it difficult to record some field events. By recounting examples of the participation of ordinary people, including the story of a local person who dragged two Iraqi soldiers to the river and a woman who, according to him, was involved in the arrest of several soldiers, he emphasized the extent of people's participation in the defense of the region.
Defense of Iran; A shared experience while preserving cultural diversity
The speech of the guests of the meeting addressed the role of the Arab people of Khuzestan in the defense of Iran from three perspectives: the social experience of war and the companionship of families, the historical background of resistance and the participation of local forces in the formation of defense structures. These narratives emphasized the importance of knowing the contribution of the people along with the history of operations and commanders.
Rereading these experiences also shows that Arab cultural identity and national belonging are not necessarily opposed to each other. While preserving their language and culture, the Arab people of Khuzestan have participated in the defense of Iran's land in different periods. Recording and introducing these experiences can help to know the history of the region more accurately and reflect the role of different groups in the national common memory in a more balanced way.
It should be noted that Tarfawi was the governor of the Azadegan Plain during the Holy Defense period and the author of a book on the defense of the Arab nomads against colonialism, Sobhani is one of the commanders during the Holy Defense period, and Mr. Balshi is one of the founders of the Revolutionary Guards in Sosangerd.