Ayatollah Khamenei Visits
The familiy of Martyr Alfred Sarkis Ordushahi
Visit Date: 29/12/1988
Martyr Alfred Sarkis Ordushahi
Martyred in Soumar, Kermanshah
Martyred on 13/2/1988
The Iranian Oil Company does not give any leave to its employees because it is in an ‘alert’ situation but Yuhanna my husband, managed to get one day off for our Christmas; it is Christian Eve and we have a lot to do at home. He is doing something in our yard when the door-bell rings. I call on him to go and open the door and I wait to see who has rung the bell. Two young men are talking to him and I think they are two of our neighbours and I go back to the kitchen. Then Yuhanna comes with a perplexed face; it seems that something troubles him. I pour a cup of tea for him and ask him who they were. He said: they wanted to do an interview and I told them: what interview! They said: Not with you, we want to interview the family of martyr Alfred Sarkis Ordushahi.
Well, martyr Alfred was the son of Yuhanna’s sister and so I was his maternal uncle’s wife. After Alfred’s martyrdom my husband urged Alfred’s parents to come and live with us because our house is a two-story building and our upper apartment was vacant; that’s why these two gentlemen came to our address.
Alfred was martyred almost 11 months ago, so the first anniversary of his martyrdom will be about a month from now.
Yuhanna is still deep in thoughts but, after drinking two cups of tea, he says: I told them I am the martyr’s maternal uncle and asked them: Who’s going to interview us?
They said: A government official. And I asked: Aren’t we supposed to know who’s coming for an interview?
They replied: we don’t know the name yet, but we come to see you in the evening. Well, I think Yuhanna is right to be a little suspicious because they haven’t told him who’s coming.
Now it’s noontime and Yuhanna and I and my young son Peter are having lunch and Anna, the martyr’s mother (Yuhanna’s sister) has joined us because her husband was not at home. Yuhanna is still thinking about this morning’s encounter! He says: I don’t know why they were so ambiguous but they didn’t seem to be bad people! Actually there were very kind and polite; I don’t know why there’s some suspicion in my mind.
Anna says: I wish Avner was here because if the interview is about our martyr, then the martyr’s father must be present. You could tell them to come after a few days because the martyr’s father must be here too. Yuhanna says: Okay, sister, I’ll tell them that when they come.
I should add here that Avner has gone to the United States for a heart surgery. Avner and Anna, apart from their martyred son, have two other children, Albert and Elizabeth, both elder than the martyr. Albert lives in the US and Elizabeth, after her marriage went to Germany with her husband. Albert is a football coach. So, during the last 6 or 7 years, the youngest child was living with her parents, he was their only companion and a real companion as he was so kind, so intelligent and so gentle; he paid constant, loving attention to his parents and never let them feel lonely. But, well, destiny had other things in store; it seems that fate chooses the best!
After lunch, Yuhanna goes back to the yard and I see from the window that the 12- year old Peter gives an order to his father saying: You must park the car just behind the parking-door so that it can’t be forced open; the father and the son are engaged in some kind of security measures!
I go back to my room and look into a drawer where I’ve kept Alfred’s photos and other things belonging to him. Among these there is an outstanding photo showing Alfred receiving a prize from the president of Assyrians in the world; this photo is also expressive of his politeness and humbleness, he was really a source of pride for all our family.
Then I look at his letter, written the evening before he died and addressed to me. He wrote:
My dear uncle’s wife, salaam to all the family who are dearer to me than my own life. I hope you’re all happy and in good health. I am fine too and so you shouldn’t worry about me. I received your kind letter today; how happy I was to receive it. You say you’ve heard some bad news about war-fronts. But there is nothing to worry about. I’ve written several letters to you; it seems you’ve received none of them. But now one of my comrades is coming to Tehran and I’ve asked him to take this letter to you personally. I again say that I’m well and very comfortable here, I swear to God that there is nothing wrong. Only here I think about all of you more often.
As regards coming to you on leave, I must say I really don’t know, perhaps in the winter or the next spring! Please tell mother that I’m well and fine in every respect, so she should not be worried about me; I hope mother will not make life difficult for herself.
I really miss you all, of course, and I hope to see you again. I don’t know what else to write. Please convey my salaam to all relations and friends, and please tell my parents not to worry about anything. Well, now I finish this letter; I love you all. Alfred, 12/2/1980.
The Visit
It’s almost dusk, I go to the upper floor to see Anna; she opens the door and I see Alfred’s copy of the Bible in her hand. Whenever Anna misses Alfred badly, she picks up this copy and reads and reads. Alfred also used to read our holy book very often and always carried this copy with him; this copy was in one of his pockets when he was martyred. I sit down and she says that her son has telephoned from America and said that they had reserved a ticket for father to come back to Tehran for in about 4 days from now. As it’s getting dark I tell her to come down to our apartment for those people may have been serious about an interview!
We are now watching the television when the door-bell rings and Yuhanna, like a person who has received a needle, jumps up to go and open the door and Peter quickly follows him. Peter says: if there is something wrong, I run back and telephone the police!
Yuhanna then asks the guests to come in. they are the same two young men who had come in the morning but now they’re carrying a big bunch of flowers and a big framed photo of Imam Khomeini.
They come into our reception room and talk about the best place to sit for the principal guest. One of them says: Perhaps here is the best; but the other says: No, here’s too near the window, it’s better there, on the couch near the store.
We still think these are very peculiar ‘guests’ and Yuhanna, who has been silent for a couple of minutes, asks them impatiently: After all, aren’t you going to tell us who’s coming here? Is it still too early to inform us? Do you still think that we shouldn’t know until the visitor arrives?
Then one of the young men says: We really apologize to you if we troubled you, but we had to, because it’s Mr. Khamenei who is coming to meet you!
We all are shocked to hear this but Yuhanna still doesn’t believe them and objects: Are you having us on? Why do you say such things?
They say: we’re telling the truth, Haaj-Agha, Mr. Khamenei, will be here any minute now.
I am very amused when they say Haaj-Agha to Yuhanna! But he hasn’t noticed this because he keeps saying: I don’t believe it; Mr. Khamenei comes to our house this way! My wisdom does not accept it!
At this time the telephone rings, I pick it up, it’s one of our neighbours, Rouny Bet Oshana, the wife of martyr Yermi Yagoub, she’s so excited and hastily says: Zhenik, listen carefully, a minute ago Mr. Khamenei was in our house, we asked him to stay with us a little longer but he said that he was going to visit another Assyrian family near us and there is no family of martyrs but yours, I think he’ll be at your house shortly, good-bye!
After this telephone call, all our worries are gone, instead we were instantly happy, a sort of clean, spiritual happiness that we’ll meet Mr. Khamenei in person and in our own house!
Yuhanna goes to welcome Mr. Khamenei and after saying salaam and welcome, Mr. Khamenei asks him: Are you the father of the martyr?
ـ No, I am his maternal uncle.
ـ Where is the mother?
ـ That lady sitting there.
ـ That lady in the corner?
ـ Yes, sir.
ـ Well, dear lady, please come and sit a little nearer.
And then Mr. Khamenei asks: Please tell me when your son was martyred?
ـ Eleven months ago.
ـ Where was he serving?
ـ Mostly in western parts of the country, Soumar, Ghasreh-Shirin, those parts.
Yuhanna is sitting next to Mr. Khamenei and Anna next to her brother; I and Peter sit down on an opposite couch. I should say here that Mr. Khamenei’s face is spiritually illuminating. Anna tells the President that she cannot speak fluent Persian and that her brother, Yuhanna, who is a good talker, will explain everything. So Yuhanna begins to explain how Alfred was martyred:
ـ Haaj-Agha, I was in Tehran then, first I was told that he was wounded. I left my office and asked one of our neighbours whose son was with Alfred in the same garrison but they didn’t know anything. Later I found out that the same day I was told he was wounded, he had already been martyred. He had been shooting at the enemy when a mortar hit behind him in his trench and he was instantly killed.
But before this I stayed at home for some 16 days telephoning every hospital in Shiraz, in Zahedan and many other places.
He must have been in Regiment 88 from Zahedan, Mr. Khamenei says.
ـ Yes, that’s right. I even checked with every morgue in Tehran if they had any Christian martyrs but none of the lists contained the name Alfred. They finally told me that I must travel to the military zone where he served. I took leave from my office and travelled to Hamedan; I called on all morgues and hospitals from Hamedan to Ilam.
Did the lady-mother know about all this, Mr. Khamenei asks.
ـ No, she and her husband were in Tehran and when I was departing Tehran, my sister asked me where I was going and I said there is something urgent in one of the oil refineries and I must go to help.
In Ilam, I was told that they knew no such martyr, I went to Soumar and checked the names of the wounded soldiers in their hospital; a military officer then told me to go to the morgue there and see if you can find his body there. I looked at the bodies they showed me but none was that of Alfred, I had given up hope when an official said: there is one more body here and when they pulled his cover aside, I saw Alfred’s face!
There is silence in the room for some time: Uncle can’t go on talking, Anna is weeping but then Anna stops weeping to tell her brother, who’s now cleared his throat: go on.
He says: Alfred was good at football, he played in two famous teams, when I saw his body in the morgue, he wore the sports-pullover he used to wear when playing; apparently the weather had been very cold and he had to wear it. On his chest there was a big envelope in which I found his personal belongings. I wanted to rent an ambulance but the officials said: Don’t worry, we’ll send it to Tehran.
Had you informed the mother then? Asks Mr. Khamenei.
ـ Yes, I telephoned my wife from Kermanshah and told her about Alfred and asked her to inform my sister, the martyr’s mother, gradually. I came back to Tehran and when I arrived in our house, I saw many members of our family there. The following day, I received a call informing me that the martyr’s body was now in Tehran. I told the person who telephoned that we come to take his body, but he said: we have ambulances, only tell us about your customs and traditions; we’re at your service. I had already bought a coffin; and I took it with me and they said: you may cover it with any kind of cloth or cover you like.
Mr. Khamenei asks: how was the mother’s state when she was informed?
Yuhanna wants to answer this question but mother says quickly: They had to go. It was their duty to go to the war-fronts, our country was in danger, our honour and dignity was threatened.
Mr. Khamenei, being clearly touched by what the martyr’s mother said, thus comments:
ـ What a great, spiritual strength has this lady-mother! It’s exactly as she says, her outlook is logical; it’s true throughout the world, that is, when a soldier is killed in defence of his country, he’s called a martyr and all people take pride in him.
Death always comes to the young and old, to men and to women. There are certain deaths in which no honour lies, but the martyrdom of such young people as your son who died in defence of his country, is an honourable, praiseworthy act.
Certainly there are pains and discomforts but glory and honour as well. Some young people die in a car crash, some quarrel in the streets and are killed, some suffer from certain illnesses and die, we have all witnessed many, different kinds of death, but the one who dies in such glorious path, is ever-lasting; he is a great source of pride and honour for his own family and for his patriotic country.
We really and truly are prideful of such young people, not only in our own country but on an international level. Today our people are known everywhere as a courageous, resistant and selfless nation, a nation who’s ready to defend his country, people who cannot be bullied and nothing may be imposed on them.
I am really touched by these divine comments, I feel as if this meeting is taking place in the heaven in which martyrs are taking part.
Then Anna tells Mr. Khamenei about Alfred’s moral character: When he decided to join the military, I told him your sister has just arrived from Germany , she’ll be our guest for a short time, why can’t you postpone your military service for a couple of weeks? He said: dear maman, allow me to go, these dammed Baathists (The enemy’s army) will come to Tehran. So I let him go. He said: I’m going to the battle-grounds, and I said: Well go, may God be with you.
After mother’s comments, Mr. Khamenei said:
ـ This is a great, human spirit, may God Almighty reward you as He wishes. I hope your Christmas will be full of bliss, I pray for your happy, long life, May God bring happiness into your hearts after your pain and sorrow.
I have prepared some nice cakes for our Christmas Eve. and, after finding out that we’ll have guests, I increased the volume. So I ask one of Mr. Khamenei’s companions: Will it be alright if I offer the President some cakes with his tea? He says it’s alright; with Peter helping me, I cut the cakes and put cakes and cups of tea in front of all present.
Mr. Khamenei then asks us about the martyr’s father and Anna describes everything.
ـ May God heal your husband in his boundless mercy and protect your son and daughter for you and may He make your children sources for your happiness in life.
Then Mr. Khamenei starts to drink his tea with some pieces of our home-made cakes and after this, he tells his companions to give us the telephone number of his Office so we could contact them if we faced any problems. Anna bashfully tells Mr. Khamenei about her nephew, that is, my son who is doing his military service somewhere remote near the borders and asks him: now that the war is over, would it be possible to transfer him to Tehran because, after the martyrdom of my son, he has become my human walking stick?
Mr. Khamenei tells one of his companions to note down the exact location where he is serving and to arrange that he’ll be transferred to Tehran. We all thank Mr. Khamenei for his kindness.
well, we seem to have come to the end of this great meeting because Haaj-Agha Khamenei gives mother some gifts and congratulates Christmas to us again and says to the martyr’s mother: Will you allow me to leave?
Anna is very touched by this statement and says: You honoured us by taking the trouble of coming to visit us. And before saying good-bye, he turns to me and says: By the way, your home-made cakes were quite delicious.
I put my hand on my chest and, with a thankful lump in my throat, say: Haaj-Agha, may God be your Guardian always.