Mohammed Hossein Fahmideh
Encyclopedia
Hossein Fahmide, (born 6 May 1967 in Qom
- killed 30 October 1980 in Khorramshahr
) is considered a hero in Iran and an icon of the Iran-Iraq war
. According to his official life story by the Iranian government, he was a 13 year old boy from the city of Qom
who, on the outbreak of war in 1980, made his decision to leave his home without his parents knowledge to go to southern Iran
to help stopping the invasion of Iran by the Iraqi army
. In the besieged city of Khorramshahr
, he fought side by side with older Iranian soldiers. At one point, Iraqi forces pushed the Iranian troops back as they were passing through a very narrow canal. Many of the Iranian troops present were either dead or wounded by the heavy Iraqi attacks. Hossein Fahmideh, therefore, took a grenade from a nearby body, pulled the pin out, and jumped underneath an Iraqi tank
, killing himself and disabling the tank. This made the iraqis think that there were landmines put by the Iranians which stopped the Iraqi tank division's advance.
Ayatollah Khomeini declared Fahmideh an Iranian national hero and a monument to Fahmideh was erected on the outskirts of Tehran
, a place of pilgrimage of young Iranians. In the years following Hossein's death, murals where erected throughout Iran, book bags displaying Hossein were sold to children, and a postage stamp was issued for his memory in 1986.
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
- killed 30 October 1980 in Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr is a city in and the capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 123,866, in 26,385 families.Khorramshahr is a port city located approximately north of Abadan...
) is considered a hero in Iran and an icon of the Iran-Iraq war
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
. According to his official life story by the Iranian government, he was a 13 year old boy from the city of Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
who, on the outbreak of war in 1980, made his decision to leave his home without his parents knowledge to go to southern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to help stopping the invasion of Iran by the Iraqi army
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
. In the besieged city of Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr is a city in and the capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 123,866, in 26,385 families.Khorramshahr is a port city located approximately north of Abadan...
, he fought side by side with older Iranian soldiers. At one point, Iraqi forces pushed the Iranian troops back as they were passing through a very narrow canal. Many of the Iranian troops present were either dead or wounded by the heavy Iraqi attacks. Hossein Fahmideh, therefore, took a grenade from a nearby body, pulled the pin out, and jumped underneath an Iraqi tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
, killing himself and disabling the tank. This made the iraqis think that there were landmines put by the Iranians which stopped the Iraqi tank division's advance.
Ayatollah Khomeini declared Fahmideh an Iranian national hero and a monument to Fahmideh was erected on the outskirts of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, a place of pilgrimage of young Iranians. In the years following Hossein's death, murals where erected throughout Iran, book bags displaying Hossein were sold to children, and a postage stamp was issued for his memory in 1986.