The originators of the idea of printing pictures of martyrs on t-shirts are young people with good taste and unpretentiousness, who do not look for the way to deal with western patterns in beautiful words and spending huge budgets, they have a heart for hard work and virginity and expect little attention for recognition. Heroes that today’s generation is unaware of.
Omid Seifi along with Abulfazl Nazif are two members of a group of four people who came up with the idea of printing pictures of martyrs on T-shirts and implemented it. 23 and 24-year-old youths who have a well-groomed appearance and, as the youth say, are fashionable. Jeans, suede college shoes, etc., which may be a little hard to believe at first glance that their great devotion and interest in the martyrs made them print the pictures of the martyrs on their own initiative.
These young designers talked about their heroes with indescribable enthusiasm in a sincere meeting held at Mehr news agency. How they proudly display martyrs’ photos on their clothes in the street, university, and between acquaintances and strangers. How those who once loved meeting the Imam and going to the front have become their inspiration today. However, like many of their peers, they could be looking for fake heroes in satellite channels, Hollywood movies, and internet sites… Continue reading Mehr’s conversation.
Why did you go to the images of the martyrs to implement this idea?
– Omid Saifi: I started my work from Shahid Hammat. I loved him unconsciously, but the main reason I loved him was because of the stories I read about his bravery. His story moved me. I read the memoirs of Shahid Hemet’s wife in the art university newspaper. For example, those parts where his wife had said that martyr Hammet used to come to see him on a motorcycle and return again for operations. Because of the stress of the operation, Martyr Hammet smoked so much in the trench that the smoke of the trench was overwhelming, but when his wife asked him not to smoke, he immediately gave it up. Despite the fact that he was the commander of the army, Shahid Bakri also worked hard and sincerely. In an interview with Mr. Mohsen Rezaei in Hamshahri newspaper, I read that Martyr Jahan Ara wore a cowboy hat. In fact, the martyrs were decisive and brave in the war. In my opinion, even one of these features is enough for a person to be attracted to them.
* How was your group formed?
– The story of Abul Fazl started from here… I shared the idea of this work with him and said, Abul Fazl also completely agreed. Before I went to university, I had analyzed this work, but I did not know how to print. Abulfazl came and saw it and liked it very much. All in all, it was a hearty job. I was afraid to choose people for the group, that’s why I first paid attention to their mental background; All of them had both emotional and heart devotion to the martyrs. For example, one of the members of the group used to say nice words and said in which country we have a 13-year-old hero like Shahid Fahmideh. Ask Abolfazl himself for more explanation.
Abolfazl Nazeef: Martyrs have a place in the hearts of all young Iranians, but today it has become such that some people think that Martyrs only belong to Khoshan, and for example, if I go to the mosque with this group, I will be ridiculed. Some people claim the ownership of Shahd and call it Maghreb. I love the martyrs of my country. Now everyone is afraid of a firecracker, but there were people in the nights of war operations who were dealing with mortars and they were really a concrete example of John Berkoff’s title. We always loved the martyrs, but we did not dare to say it.
* How do you prove your interest in martyrs like Shahid Hammet, some say that your motivation in using the images of these legends is financial?
– Omid Seifi: The fact that some people do not believe in our interest in the martyrs is due to the cultural neglect that has caused these two generations to separate. This idea was really from the heart. I could use other people’s pictures, but we don’t have great people in our country, like Pahlavan Takhti, if I printed his picture, sports federations would also help. Until today, no one has supported me. Until now, I have printed t-shirts at my own expense, but I started with those whom I believed in a lot. I started with Martyr Mustafa Safdari, who few people know and he was not a well-known martyr in the public mind, but he went to the front at a young age and because he was a martial artist, he taught martial arts to his comrades. If I wanted to attract the opinion of some organizations, I could do it with the photos of many people.
* On the first day when such an idea came to your mind, did you imagine that your initiative would be noticed by the media like this?
– The first day I started this I was thinking about an internet buzz. I wore this t-shirt myself for a year until last August I printed the pictures of other martyrs on the t-shirts. I never thought this matter would be raised so much. Of course, our work had been in the media for a year, but when the Mehr news agency published a report about our group, the television became aware of our work, and many newspapers called for an interview.
* Have you presented your plan to the cultural authorities?
– The media can communicate with cultural officials, but how can people like me meet and talk with them, for example, the head of the cultural commission of the parliament. However, I do not know the reason why the officials have not welcomed our plan so far.
* What do you see as the reception of the officials, paying money, or buying a plan or…?
– I was a graphics student who started this work for the love of martyrs and martyrs. Four years ago the idea came to my mind and three years ago the work started. But about who can support me or what kind of support I don’t have. Organizations should recognize the way of reception, which can include buying designs or financial support for the production of these t-shirts.
* Which organization do you expect to support you?
– It doesn’t matter which organization it is, we have many religious and cultural organizations in the country, especially in the field of holy defense. There are so many cultural foundations. Someone wrote a good comment on the internet that instead of holding so many seminars that are forgotten by everyone after a few days, support such activities that directly hit the enemy’s heart and benefit our own country.
– When government bodies don’t come forward with so much capital for support, you can’t expect support from the private sector, no matter how sure it is that T-shirts sell well. We ask for help from everyone, and this is not to say that, for example, the Ministry of Guidance will give me money. I want all designers and marketing professionals to comment and support on this. The larger the group becomes, we can implement the project on a larger scale, of course, financial support is the main issue. With the wide implementation of this project, a brand can be created in the world with the name “Mayer” (my hero) and its products can be exported to Islamic countries.
* Have you had an order for t-shirt production?
– I get a lot of calls. Recently, a lady from Germany called me and another lady wanted a t-shirt for her husband’s birthday.
* Most of the people who call you to order t-shirts are from which strata of society?
– Before this, I thought that families and religious youth would welcome these t-shirts more, but because of the youth-friendly design and the type of design that also uses English letters, people from all walks of life contacted me and asked for these t-shirts. In fact, the design style of these t-shirts is such that they can have many fans at the international level.
* What will you do if you don’t get support to produce these t-shirts, what is your next plan?
– If I had capital myself, I would put it on this project so that I can at least respond to the people who call me. But there are two situations, one is that our design is supported and t-shirts are printed, which is definitely the same situation that we like. But if there is no support for their production, I will express my protest by printing a poster with the title of a t-shirt that no one supported and was never worn.
* Don’t you think that you have just started your work and it needs time for this plan to be supported through the media and even blogs?
– Of course, the protest movement is for when I reach the zero point. I don’t know, my hope is in God. I don’t think it will reach zero. If no one supports me, at least I will wear these t-shirts for myself.
* How did people react to these t-shirts?
– I have read the comments that people left for the news published on the sites. In 99% of cases, people were satisfied and showed interest, but of course, some had raised the issue of sanctity and said that the sanctity of the martyrs should be kept. But I believe someone wears this t-shirt who loves Shahid. Has the honor of martyrs been preserved now that young Iranians are wearing t-shirts with images of Cheguwara? By doing this, the martyrs become permanent and we can draw the current generation who are strangers to the martyrs and the front in this direction. In fact, the justification that a boy who wears jeans or has a certain hairstyle should not wear a t-shirt with the picture of a martyr is a bigoted view. On the first day, I was only looking at myself, but when I went to university with this T-shirt, I never thought that I would face such a welcome from the children.
* Today, many people born in 1965 and 1966 are students who are far from the generation of the holy defense. How do you want to communicate with them and encourage young people to wear their t-shirts?
– Young people who are in university are very willing to wear these t-shirts and have also requested it. It is enough for these young people to see our T-shirts. I am sure that if young people see those wearing these t-shirts in the street, they will be attracted to it.
* Persuading young people to wear T-shirts is part of your job. But for them to know these martyrs is another issue. Have you thought about this issue?
– I have thought about this. In the form of a collection of photos of Martyr Hemet, I have collected his memories and his life, which young people will at least understand in what operation Martyr Hemet was martyred. I have another plan, if the national media cooperates, I want to sing a song called “Mai Mairu” in Persian and Latin and make clips from it.
* What is your plan so that young people’s interest in wearing your t-shirts continues and they don’t disappear after a while like many foreign clothes?
– If, for example, the images of actresses were used in the design of these t-shirts, the apparent and immediate attraction of the youth would be justified, but this photo is of Shaheed Hemet, and if its reception was temporary, people would never have asked for my contact number, even outside the country. . Of course, this plan may be repeated when I have thought for them as well. I want to work on the collective images of the holy defense martyrs. Shahidi’s son told me why you only used pictures of famous martyrs and not pictures of lesser-known martyrs like my father. For this reason, I want to work the images of martyrs on t-shirts that no one knows or are less known, such as Shahid Asami.
* What have you done to promote your t-shirts?
– I took charge of the advertising, and for marketing, a person from the fashion and clothing working group, who is a fan, was assigned to help us. In two months, I will go to the army, and while I’m gone, this design may not be seen, but after two months, I have good news, and you will be surprised by the pictures of the people who appear on the t-shirts.
* Do you have a plan to print martyrs’ photos on women’s clothes?
– There is a problem with women’s clothes that if the coat is loose, the design cannot be seen, and if it is tight on the coat, it creates problems. We want to prepare an ideal plan in which the photos will have a suitable effect.
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Talk by Neda Rayhani
