Writer Kalateh Arabi elaborates on distortion factors in history of Sacred Defense
One of the most important challenges in society today is the confrontation with the distorted narratives of the history of the Islamic Revolution.
Recently, this problem has reached the Sacred Defense events, and every year we are faced with these media and their supporters in our country who distort history.
* To begin with, please provide a definition of distortion and what is the difference between distortion and narrative?
When we deviate from reality in telling and writing events, we distort it. Also, sometimes because of the differences of perspectives, those who are distorted may not be distorted and they themselves do not believe in distorting events. Also, sometimes, due to the difference of views, those who distorted narratives, have not done so on purpose. They don't even believe that they've done so.
My field of work is writing memories and we are less distorted in this field, or we are less worried about distortion. In my opinion, the place where distortion occurs is not the field of memory writing, but the field of war historiography.
The point here is that one of the main sources of distortion is the lack of correct narration. When we are worried about the distorted narrative of others, we should have presented the important issues of the war after more than thirty years since the end of the war, because if we do not narrate these issues and events ourselves, we have prepared the ground for the distortion of others.
* In your opinion, to what extent and how should the official organizations in charge of historiography deal with these issues?
For me, as a researcher living in this society and an ordinary citizen, when this issue becomes serious for me, all questions are raised. I don't have an answer for this question, but I can say that there is an ability to answer doubts.
* Why do we still have problems in narration after thirty years since the end of the war?
You should look at how many of these important events have been written! We have mentioned very few important events related to the macro level of the war, related to units and divisions. By not narrating these events ourselves, we provide the field for our opponents and their activities.
* For the young generation who have not seen the war, what issues should be emphasized more for their better understanding?
As a researcher, I must say that there should be a wise organization that will count the vital issues of the war and put them on the agenda and narrate them to this young generation. Although you said, the war today, is a war of narratives, and in war we may get hit, and the rules of war are still valid today, but we should not allow ourselves to be defeated.