The eight-year holy defense was a turning point in the show of solidarity and unity of all ethnicities, ideas and beliefs to defend Iran against the enemy. Followers of monotheistic religions all played a role during the imposed war, including Zoroastrian compatriots.
The Zoroastrians sacrificed 32 martyrs, 209 veterans and 23 POWs in the eight years of the imposed war with exemplary empathy and solidarity, one of whom is "Farhad Khadem".
Due to the beginning of the imposed war, after graduation, Martyr "Farhad Khadem” went to the battlefields and spent his training in the 77th Khorasan Division based in Dezful, and after passing this course with several graduates of the Sharif University of Technology was responsible for building the Chazabeh Bridge.
He was martyred on March 22, 1981 at the age of twenty-four in Chezabeh Strait along with seven engineers from Sharif University during the Operation Fath al-Mubin and during the construction of the bridge.
His mother these days continues the path of her martyred son. She, who had been a teacher, social worker and a member of the Zoroastrian community for many years, serves his colleagues in the Zoroastrian Dispute Resolution Branch and says: "Since my son was martyred, I started working as a social worker in the Zoroastrian community." Social working itself is the foundation and branch of the Dispute Resolution Council because it deals with resolving disputes in the community.
How many years of social activity do you have and what made you continue your activities in the field of service?
I have been working in the cultural and social fields for 37 years. I used to be an expert in statistics and taxation at the Treasury. I never gave up so that I could do the half-finished work of my martyred child in the society. On this basis, in addition to helping and serving in a nursing home, I am a religious teacher, a member of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association, and a member of the Zoroastrian Special Dispute Resolution Council. My whole effort is to be active enough to be in the ranks of Farhads.
As a member of the Dispute Resolution Council, what are the characteristics of the establishment of this council and how has it been received by all of you?
Working at the Dispute Resolution Council is not new to me because the social and cultural activities I have done before have helped me become aware of all personal matters. I must emphasize that I am pleased that the laws of our country are such that they recognize the rights of religious minorities, and that the minorities of our country, according to the constitution, can pursue their personal status in the judiciary according to their own rulings. I ask God to give me the ability to take steps to serve the people in my community so that my child's soul will be satisfied with me. Regarding the acceptance of Zoroastrians for the establishment of this council, I must say that we have special branches of the Dispute Resolution Council in many cities of our country, including Shiraz and Yazd. Our Zoroastrian compatriots used to have to follow up on their personal situation, including the monopoly of inheritance and the resolution of family disputes, which of course is very rare due to the lack of a branch in Tehran, in Yazd. Other cities were eliminated and therefore the establishment of this council is a positive step towards serving Zoroastrian citizens.
Tell us about how your child was martyred and your satisfaction about Farhad going to the front?
Farhad had a responsible spirit and was very diligent in studying, working and serving the people. His graduation from Sharif University coincided with the beginning of the imposed war, and although he was able to immigrate to the United States, he preferred to go to the front. He spent his training in Dezful, and after passing this course, together with several graduates of Sharif University of Technology, he was responsible for the construction of the Chazabeh Bridge, which eventually led to the liberation of Khorramshahr. Farhad was martyred on March 1, 1981, at the age of 24, in the Chazabeh Strait during the Operation Fath al-Mubin. Of course, I was simply not satisfied with his departure and we argued for a long time, but he said that his mother had built Azadi Square as an Iranian and that it should be defended. If the enemy takes over this land, I will not be able to continue living, and this is a kind of gradual death. Farhad used to say, "If it were not for Iran, my body would not die." After Farhad, I agreed that he should leave for the freedom and independence of the homeland. Farhad and his fellow Muslim university companions sacrificed their lives for Iran and the defense of their homeland. All the children of the families of the martyrs are the same as my child and they are no different. Defending the homeland does not differentiate between minorities and non-minorities. In my lectures at Sharif University, I always reminded that our students should appreciate the benches on which they acquire knowledge, because thanks to the blood of the martyrs, these benches have been secured so that our students can study and study with peace of mind.
You wrote a book about your son's martyrdom that was considered by the Supreme Leader of the Revolution. Can you explain to us in this regard?
One day I was talking to my son's friends and I said that Farhad did a lot of work for the community and I do not know what I have to do to keep his footsteps and this is where Farhad's friends asked me to write these services. I also narrated the story of my son's martyrdom, which was published under the title "Farhad's Footprint" in 2010 by Fatah Publications. At the International Book Fair, the book came to the attention of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, who read the will of my martyr son written on the back of the book and made a speech that made the book widely acclaimed and became rare in one day. I want to make a point here, and that is that the people who live to serve the people receive their reward from God Almighty and do not need to reward the people.