“Wartime Formation” tells the story of the efforts of Iranian women in the fields of humanity and resistance.
In times of social, cultural and humanitarian crises, the experience of living shows that personal and collective efforts can have a major impact on people’s lives, even on a small scale. These actions open new paths for solidarity with vulnerable people and document them, providing insight into how ordinary people participate in meaningful changes.
Women’s stories often weigh uniquely as they highlight details, limitations, and impacts of behavior on both family and community. This kind of storytelling allows readers to connect with real people and see how individual motivations evolve into collective social behavior.
The book Arayesh Jangi (“Wartime Formation”) is one such effort, and is built on a detailed account of women’s participation in various fields of resistance and humanitarian activities. Its author, Maryam Borzoui, sat down with Mehr’s news agency to discuss what motivated him to write the book.
She explains that the title in the book is rooted in Imam Khomeini’s words, “Our war is a war of faith, and there are no borders.” For Borzowi, this vision frames the role of Iranian Muslim women as people always prepared for conflict, whether physical frontiers or cultural and social aspects. Although she points out that war may take a military form, it can also manifest through supportive work, civil engagement, or humanitarian initiatives. In either case, all available resources must be mobilized.
At the heart of her interview is a central question: “What can I do?” Borzoui explains that the question comes from women of all backgrounds, whether doctors, tailors, students, or housewives. The strength of the book is that each woman contributes according to her own abilities and circumstances, from basic support tasks to professional efforts and humanitarian missions.
Some explanations describe the women of Kuzestan, Ahvaz, Buscher and Shiraz travel to Lebanon to support women and children affected by the war. Depending on the situation, they stayed for a week or a month, organised educational and recreational programs for children, taught knitting classes for women, and helped them find both distractions and income. The aim was to reduce psychological pressure and provide a gentle measure for war-stricken families.
Borzoui concludes that the book is entirely factual. The aim is to maintain the oral history of Iranian women so that future generations cannot deny or distort their role. She also believes that the book could be translated to convey the message of Iranian women’s participation to a wider audience across the resistance front. “When the world reads the stories of women of resistance, they are encouraged and the movement lives on.”
MNA/6609964