Shining stars and heroes of the Iranian Resistance
On February 8, 1982, Khomeini’s Revolutionary Guards killed some of the most prominent leaders of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran ( PMOI/MEK).
Khomeini thought that by dealing such a heavy blow to the opposition, he could put up a show of force, demoralize the staunch supporters of the movement and break their resistance in prisons and outside.
The women involved in this battle left a brilliant legacy in the history of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy. These shining stars and heroines did not surrender.
In this process, she got to know the PMOI, the newly formed underground anti-Shah organization and joined it in 1971. She got arrested twice from 1972-to 1974 and in 1976 and endured savage tortures as a result of which she lost hearing in one ear.
After February 8, 1982, Ashraf’s life and death became the tradition of a generation of PMOI women in Iran who led the Iranian Resistance today.
Other shining stars and heroes in this epic milestone were: Azar Rezaii, Mahshid Farzanesa, Mahnaz Kalantari, Sorayya Senemari, Fatemeh Najarian, Tahmineh Rahimnejad, Nahid Raafati, Jila Naghizadeh, and Soghra Bozorghanfard.
The women involved in this struggle left a legacy in the history of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy. These heroes did not surrender.
Khomeini thought that by dealing such a heavy blow to the opposition, he could put up a show of force, demoralize the staunch supporters of the movement and break their resistance in prisons and outside.
It was an unequal battle between thousands of heavily armed guards vs. 20 freedom fighters. He thought victory is certain. However, the champions of freedom and the shining stars and heroines of the Iranian Resistance did not surrender. They fought to the last breath, creating an epical scene that strengthened the movement even further.
The women involved in this battle left a brilliant legacy in the history of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy. These shining stars and heroes did not surrender.
They put up a staunch resistance and fought courageously to the end to herald a new world for their fellow compatriots. Today, their resolve and courage have multiplied in the ranks of the pioneering women in the PMOI who lead the Resistance movement.
Ashraf Rajavi.The brightest of the shining stars in this episode was Ashraf Rajavi. Born in 1951 in Zanjan, she received her Bachelors of Science in Physics from Tehran’s Sharif Industrial University. But Ashraf’s heart bled for the deprived people who suffered in a country that sits on a sea of oil.
Despite having the opportunity to lead a good life, she chose to help the underprivileged and traveled long distances to various cities and villages to learn about their problems and help them find solutions.
In this process, she got to know the PMOI, the newly formed underground anti-Shah organization and joined it in 1971. She got arrested twice from 1972-to 1974 and in 1976 and endured savage tortures as a result of which she lost hearing in one ear.
She was sentenced to life in prison the last time she was arrested but she was freed with the last group of political prisoners on January 20, 1979, before the Iranian Revolution that toppled the Shah in the same year on February 11.
After freedom, she resumed her activities as the most experienced female member of the organization. Her task was monumental considering the throngs of young women and girls who wanted to join the movement after the revolution, especially since she was their role model.
In the first round of parliamentary elections after the Shah’s fall, Ashraf was nominated as the most prominent PMOI woman in the list of PMOI candidates for Tehran.
After the beginning of the Resistance on June 20, 1981, when the PMOI decided to send their leader abroad to be the voice of the movement, Ashraf stayed behind as his representative. So, on February 8, 1982, she and her infant son were at the PMOI’s central headquarters.
When the attack began, she put her son in the bathroom to keep him safe from the shootings and smoke and went back to defend her comrades. All of them fought to the last breath and proudly gave their lives.
Later on, the Revolutionary Guards took the bodies of these brave men and women to the Evin Prison. They laid the bodies in the yard covered with snow and took young prisoners to see their slain leaders break their resistance but their plans were foiled when prisoners paid their tributes and chanted “Death to Khomeini, Long live Rajavi.”
After February 8, 1982, Ashraf’s life and death became the tradition of a generation of PMOI women in Iran who led the Iranian Resistance today.
Other shining stars and heroes in this epic milestone were: Azar Rezaii, Mahshid Farzanesa, Mahnaz Kalantari, Sorayya Senemari, Fatemeh Najarian, Tahmineh Rahimnejad, Nahid Raafati, Jila Naghizadeh, and Soghra Bozorghanfard.
Shahin Gobadi
NCRI
+33 6 51 65 32 31
email us here
MEK supporters gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of these heroes on February 8, 1982, in Paris and other cities in Europe.
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