TEHRAN –The 12th edition of the Sacred Defense and Resistance National Book Fair is currently underway in the west-central Iranian city of Hamedan. 

The fair is being held simultaneously with the 2nd National Congress of 8,000 Martyrs of Hamedan province, ILNA reported on Monday. 

National exhibits like this play a significant role in uplifting the morale of writers, publishers, and storytellers in producing impactful books, the director of Iran Book and Literature House, Ali Ramezani, said.

During the course of the past 11 months, 1,500 books concerning the Sacred Defense have been created, indicating the significance of this exhibition in inspiring writers, motivating storytellers, and encouraging publishers to produce meaningful works, he added. 

The inhabitants of Hamedan are not concerned about the lack of visitors to the book exhibition, as the province is at the forefront of producing books on the Sacred Defense, with notable authors and role models in the realm of publishing, he explained. 

He noted that 110 publishers are present at the event. 

The people of Hamedan have demonstrated their commitment to defending their country, including through the construction of the Museum Garden of Sacred Defense, he mentioned. 

The province's dedication to these efforts led to it being selected as the host for the event this year, he stated. 

Ramezani also said that if the spirit of sacrifice and martyrdom takes root in the country, the revolutionary, resistant, and Sacred Defense energies will operate with greater strength.

The exhibition, which spans over 4,000 square meters, will be running until October 13. 

The 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq, known as ‘Sacred Defense’ in the Islamic Republic, was launched by the order of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein nearly 19 months after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

On September 22, 1980, Saddam Hussein launched a massive war on Islamic Republic of Iran that lasted until the summer of 1998. The war martyred hundreds of thousands of Iranian people while defending their country. After eight years of fighting, Iran and Iraq reached an agreement to end the war.

SAB/