In this article, we delve into the endeavors of an NGO in Isfahan, a collective of activists from the Shahid Ejei Cultural Center. They have been actively engaging with the city’s youth, fostering connections within schools. Mohammad Saber Pestei, a leading member of the center, shared with “Isfahan-e Ziba” the recent initiatives undertaken to cultivate a culture of resistance.
The Shahid Ejei Cultural Center in Isfahan was initially formed by a group of students from gifted schools in the city. Is it this background that has brought you back to schools?
As you mentioned, the Shahid Ejei Cultural Center in Isfahan is an education-oriented organization rooted in the school environment. In fact, every cultural group has its own history; for instance, some are community-based, while the Shahid Ejei Cultural Center has its roots in schools. A group of students from a gifted high school founded this center, which later expanded its activities. Over the years, we have organized various competitions and events. Additionally, we have established student councils and held religious gatherings and mourning processions.
Our recent focus on schools is inspired by a speech given by Ayatollah Khamenei. He emphasized the duty of all people to contribute to the fight against the Zionist regime and to cooperate with resistance groups to the best of their abilities. This inspired us to take action. One of our initiatives has been to concentrate on activities in schools.
Could you elaborate on your programs in schools? What are the details and who are the people involved?
A group of students and alumni from Shahid Ejei Gifted School came together around 2013. They were particularly interested in social and civic activities. For instance, they were actively involved in social events such as elections, setting up campaign headquarters, issuing statements, and so on. This group has remained active until today, and following Ayatollah Khamenei’s recent speech, they decided to take action with the support of the Shahid Ejei Cultural Center. Some members focused on promotional activities, while others collected donations. A group produced Arabic content for Arab countries, especially Egypt and Jordan, where they believed they could have a greater impact. Some, based on their academic backgrounds, turned to cyber and virtual activities, and another group focused on producing content for students and schools. Among all these activities, content production for schools has seen the most significant progress.
Have you found the content you’ve produced for students to be effective?
Well, we’ve been to about 10 schools so far and interacted with students. Overall, I would say the content has had an impact, but to give a more accurate answer, we need to expand this project on a much larger scale.
My wife was very supportive because she was constantly traveling and understood the demands of my work. She would even pack my bags, prepare my clothes, and cook for me. In fact, everything was ready for my trips. I always found flying to be exciting, and interestingly, every time I came back from a trip, I would tell my family about all the details, and they would listen patiently. However, I regret not spending enough time with my daughter. I missed many milestones in her growth, like when she started walking or talking. Although she has a very independent personality, I always stayed connected with her from afar. Nevertheless, I spent many precious moments in the sky, especially during holidays like Nowruz when vacations were canceled until the end of Farvardin or even the entire summer.
How often did you have to travel?
Back then, there were so many flights, it was unbelievable. I might be away from home for five or six days at a time. There was no substitute.
Could you tell us about any exciting experiences you had while flying?
So many things happened, and I have many fond memories. Once, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling very down. I was searching the internet when suddenly a Noha (religious lament) by Mr. Karimi started playing. At the same time, I received a call from the airport asking if my passport was valid.
In short, I got ready and had to fly. I quickly got dressed and went to the airport. The destination was Isfahan, and we had to transport a group of artists from Isfahan to Najaf Airport for the installation of Imam Hussein’s shrine. Their behavior was very interesting. They shed tears in front of the artists and even smeared their blood on the wings of the plane.
I was responsible for making the flight announcements. When I took the microphone and told the passengers that we were about to land at Najaf Airport, I suddenly felt overwhelmed. A lump formed in my throat, and I couldn’t speak. It was very strange! The passengers noticed and started sending blessings.
One of my colleagues said, “Zohreh, I was reciting a lamentation for Hazrat Zahra, and I had a dream where I went to Karbala and prayed beside the shrine.” The plane landed. The passengers disembarked, and I continued to cry while they expressed their sympathy. At Najaf Airport, the person checking names and passports asked me why I was crying. I said I wanted to visit the shrine of Imam Ali. He said, “If it’s destined, you will definitely visit.” We completed the flight procedures, but then it was announced that there was a technical issue and communication with the tower had been cut off.
This happened during the Iraq war. The day before, a bomb had exploded on one of Najaf’s streets, and the situation was very tense. The passengers were in Karbala and said it would take about four hours to get here. In short, we insisted so much that they allowed us to visit the shrine of Imam Ali. In any case, our request was granted, and a special forces unit took us through a special lane for military and emergency vehicles towards the shrine, and we were able to visit. That made this flight one of the most memorable for me.
Have you ever experienced any unfortunate incidents during a flight? For example, have you ever been involved in a hijacking?
Yes, there were some incidents, but thankfully, everything turned out well. For example, once there was a bomb threat, and we quickly evacuated the passengers. Another time, on a flight from Hamadan to Jeddah, one of the plane’s engines failed, and we descended rapidly. It was a very dangerous moment, and we were all terrified. Sometimes, passengers would become ill, and we had to perform CPR or artificial respiration on them.
