Journal of National Studies
Year:2005 | Volume:6 | Issue:3 (23)|Papers Count:8

War, as a social phenomenon, has always existed in human communities. The Iran-Iraq war was one of the bloodiest conflicts after the Second World War. This eight-year war has had different influences, amongst them one can make mention of the fact that it virtually put to an end the process that had started from the beginning of Qajar period during which Iran had lost significant parts of its territory. It also brought to an end the political, economic and cultural influence of foreign powers. In the eight-year Iran- Iraq War, the country s political leadership implemented a huge public defense strategy and solely depended on national and religious values. Iran could, through public mobilization and without outside help, change the trend of alienation and foreign influence after 200 years. This actually opened a new chapter in Iranian history and mirrored the true identity of Iran and the Iranian people to the world.      

Wars are regarded as events of destructive identity as well as constructive -identity. The imposed war between Iran and Iraq also had not been exceptional to this rule. On the other hand, identity is also product of self -identification by self and other and can transform to this identification or imaginary adaptation. In this framework, artistic images including cinematic pictures, options and instrument for representing and narrating events and concepts, are regarded as resources and components of constructive - identity and can contribute to self - exploration of societies. War s cinema genre in our society is mainly seeking to narrate and represent imposed war as event of constructive - identity and attempt to tie it to our response to question of our identity. On this base, this article analyze cinematic narration of Ibrahim Hatamikia from imposed war as mystical and spiritual narration and try to review institutions and tis time and contextual frameworks in a perception that is consistent with Islamic revolution identity frameworks.      

The current research aims at answering some theoretical questions about war. None of the questions will directly study the origin of "identity" but they will delineate the continuity of the "sense of identity" during a war. The questions are: 1- Why "identity" becomes an important issue in theoretical debates about war? 2- What relationship can one find between identity, meaning and war? 3- To what extent can "meaning" link the debate over identity to mental perspectives? In answering the above questions, the independent variable of narration was taken into account. The variable of war serves as a second one which uses narrations either by selecting them or magnifying their int1uence. The chief hypothesis of the current work is that the permanency of an identity which is founded on an event called war completely depends on the process of war. Therefore, if this process mingles with other important processes which engulf a country after a war (like negative crises of internal government disputes and positive crises of reformation and development), the new identity which is an outcome of war will face great changes.      

The imposed Iran- Iraq war, as one of the most significant events of contemporary Iranian history, affected different aspects of social as well as individual lives of Iranian people. Literature in general and poetry in particular witnessed a tremendous impact on Iranian thought at the time. With the start of the war, Iranian poets tried to make use of religious, historical and national myths in creating epical characters in their poetry which would help show the true Iranian identity. The use of myths in war poetry shows that Iranians have preserved their bonds with their historical and cultural identity and use these historical symbols and structures in redefining their identity. This research work attempts to identify the religious and national myths which helped to raise the morale of Iranian people and forged unity among them.    

War is a phenomenon which can leave a decisive influence on the lives and language of the people of a country for decades to come. Some of the results of a war have direct relation with its outcome of victory or defeat. Some other consequences are created by war itself. The current work studies two post-war outcomes: First, the phenomenon in which death becomes something ordinary and everyday; the persistence of such a phenomenon can lead to the institutionalization of death in people s lives and minds and can have its own effects. Second, the divisions that government critics make of the logic and process ruling on the lives of the people at the time of peace; this can especially be seen among those who want to revive the ideals and values of some former times.      

This article examines the role of national identity in sacred defense. First, the article suggest that differentiation between Islamic revolutions discourse and imposed war is seen less actual in examination of national identity and, conversely there is a strong connection between them The author While Looking at identity changes in history of Iran, refers also to "Legitimacy Crisis" in nationalistic concepts to analyze national identity in War discourse. By Considering these concepts, main discusses of The article are regulated in two Parts including bases of national identity in war and its influence on Warfare treatments. In Part one, religious, revolutionary, and national doctrines are considered as the constructive bases of national identity in Sacred defense. In Part two, also analyzes five components of national identity, unsurrendability, and Justice- Center approach domination of Islamic Truth System, mobilization and national integration and Finally, Spirituality and national Morale For Considering the role national identity guide lines on Warfare treatments.