Celebrated as martyrs in a holy war, they were buried in government-funded cemeteries across Iran, where families regularly gather to remember their slain sons, brothers and fathers. Tehran's Martyrs Cemetery, with its miles of tightly packed white tombstones and photos of fresh-faced boys who died in battle, is a haunting reminder of the war's toll. But it also offers a glimpse of Iran's highly charged debate on the politics of war and martyrdom, a critical facet in the dispute between those who support the liberalizing reforms set in motion by President Mohammed Khatemi and those who oppose them as backsliding from the Islamic teachings that have underpinned Iran's government since the Shah was overthrown in 1979. The student protesters who rocked Tehran last month with their demands for more personal freedom and greater government accountability provided the most explosive recent manifestation of the dispute. Conservatives, who still control the main levers of power, have resisted Khatemi's calls for social and political liberalization and were scandalized by the demonstrations.
Emotions are still raw in Tehran after the protests led to riots, arrests and violence.
Kazemzadeh is a member of the Basij, a primarily volunteer militia force renowned for courage in the war. It claims to be 5 million strong and believes it is charged with restoring order on the streets as part of a crackdown on the protests. As soon as we call for reform, they call us traitors to the cause. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late supreme leader, called for a holy war and promised martyrdom to all soldiers who died for the cause. Motivated by religious fervor and nationalist pride, millions of young Iranians heeded Khomeini's call.