A Lady from Shiraz; The Narration of Sardar Nejat’s Wife in the Frame of Oral History
According to the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), “The Story of That Girl from Shiraz,” written by Zeinab Molaei, is a 256-page work from the “Wives” collection that narrates the life of Fatemeh Chamankhah, wife of Sardar Hossein Nejat. The book has recently been released by Marz va Boom Publishing.
The book’s narrative begins with Fatemeh Chamankhah’s student days in Tehran; when university strikes forced her return to Shiraz. During this period, her family informs her of a marriage proposal. Fatemeh initially objects to the idea, but due to her father’s sense of courtesy, the meeting takes place. Ultimately, based on numerous intellectual and religious commonalities, the marriage between Fatemeh Chamankhah and Hossein Nejat takes place.
One of the notable sections of the book narrates the preparations and details of the couple’s wedding ceremony, which depicts the social and cultural atmosphere of that era. For example, a part of the book recounts that Fatemeh Chamankhah and Sardar Nejat decide to print a verse from the Quran on their wedding invitation; however, to do this, they have to visit several printing houses, and after extensive searching, only one printing house agrees to do it, on the condition that its name not be mentioned.
The book also pays special attention to the issue of mandatory unveiling (Kashf-e Hijab) and how schools and universities viewed veiled women during that time. Fatemeh Chamankhah narrates the situation of those years in a section of the book: “I also wanted to wear hijab, but the school used to bother us a lot. There were three of us in school who wore small scarves. One of us would remove her hijab behind the school gate due to fear of humiliation and insults, leaving me and one other person. We always tried to run away from the assembly line, out of fear of our manager, who was foul-mouthed and bad-tempered. Sometimes when he saw us, he would shout from the platform where he stood: ‘Hey you two, take that dirty thing off your head.’ Meaning that the hijab you are wearing is so dirty and impure. We were very offended. The humiliation bothered us, but we were not willing to give up something we believed in and loved, despite all these insults and humiliations.”
Throughout their marriage, Fatemeh Chamankhah and Hossein Nejat have played an active role in revolutionary activities in addition to pursuing education. By participating effectively in cultural and security spheres, this couple has provided significant services to Imam Khomeini (RA) and the Islamic Revolution and continues to be active in this path.
“The Story of That Girl from Shiraz” is considered a book for enthusiasts of the oral history of the Islamic Revolution, narratives of commanders’ wives’ lives, and researchers in the field of women and the Islamic Revolution.
