Status of Servicing Evacuees in Other Nations

Consistency, preservation, and transmission of a society’s culture is up to every responsible and committed generation; but, preserving such a culture requires means that is generally in hand of political and social system of each society. The martyrdom and sacrifice culture and reviving martyrs and sacrificers’ memory is an important part of cultural values of this society. It was an epic that reached its climax in Karbala event and reappeared in the sacred defense. Transmitting values originated from these events contain elements and features of a live and active culture that appear in a different form in every period of history. Then, we should try to execute the martyrdom and sacrifice culture in our society by reminding, preserving, reverencing, and honoring founders of these values. The present essay tries to offer methods of reverencing and honoring sacrificers and their families by expressing necessity of honoring the war sacrificers and pointing at some of activities that have been done in countries dealing with war.

News ID: ۵۴۹۴۴

چهارشنبه - ۳۰ مهر ۲۰۰۷ / 2007 30 July

1. Introduction Many countries have experienced war in their historical memory at least once. History have always been an aware witness for these wars and analyzed these events somewhat. Peaceful relations in reception of each other are one of both sides’ expectations. When each side does not stand these expectations, the relations will be changed and may result in a war in the end.
Not regarding value and human right matters, war has never been favored by a nation; but, when it has to defend its security and national interests and has to fight, such a war is considered not an aggression, but a valuable defense. 2. Wars, sacrifice epics, and altruism The criteria of all human behaviors follow its special rational criteria forming from a combination of cultural goals and warlike special goals. Behind it, we can recognize the type of behavioral incentives that originate in the culture including general and global humanistic incentive, which has social life. It consists of making an identity that belongs to people in the same group and rejects people in other groups as aliens. (Mayer, 62, 1375) In many wars, it has been considered as a moral question, and even the most decisive peaceful people believe in that.
They believe that the war praises exciting and noble virtue, and courage, sacrifice, loyalty, friendship, and truthfulness among warriors have been common in different cultures in the world. Human knowledge has believed in virtues of war throughout centuries. In societies dependant on deficiency systems, or societies in which there are different kinds of hierarchy based on that, warlike morals is limited by groups in which being warrior had inherited from fathers to sons. These societies try to grow the warrior generation carefully and their epic poems and stories are full of a sensation of glory, manliness, bravery, and courage of their country’s warriors.
They knew themselves as the sole keeper of these virtues and their behaviors are the only witness of this claim. (Botol, 113) Taking part special occasions are considered very important from the point of culture and instruction; because, they are reminder of events having passed for those nations during those days. Ceremonies, honors, feasts, or mourning is being taken part in all cultures with the goal of “Reminding.”? Such repetitions and reminding rely on the type of culture transmission from one generation to another and are considered as a part of a nation’s history. The new generation should know that today security and peace is owed to martyrdom and sacrifice of the ones who provided such a facility for them.
These values must be widespread in different forms in the society’s generations. Then, mechanisms of this process can be defined according to the level of culture in the society. In different societies, there are different mechanisms for transmitting values according to using facilities. Founding different museums and demonstrating combatants’ personal signs as well as famous commanders’, war weapons, making statues and epitaphs consisting information about the fallen people in the war, painting boards, memorials, keeping remnants of destroyed cities in the war such as buildings destroyed in Stalingrad by Nazis’ invasions or the building of Hiroshima nuclear bombardment as a sign of the US widespread crime are considered as efforts to cherish the memory of war in people’s minds. In addition, writing hundreds and thousands of scenarios, novels, books, and memories about the war, making different TV serials, movies, and war theaters, producing and designing symphonies, chants, and martial marshes are all considered as the mentioned effort to revive the memory of martyrs and sacrificers of the sacred defense.
(The fourth conference of reviewing the sacred defense, 145- 146) Wars leave signs that are irretrievable sometimes. War signs affect a big range. It contains ancient remnants and buildings which are considered as a part of nations’ culture to human beings who have been killed in wars and deprived of their natural lives, families torn apart, and people who lost their beloved in wars. In each war, there are policies to decrease the bad, unpleasant and unwanted effects of war to the least. These policies and programs are predicted through every war and are executed by the government or non-governmental organizations.
These activities are continued after the war in another way. Emotional and spiritual supports of these organizations mend damages to belief layers and human values, and provide combatants and their families’ needs financially. These supports are usually organized in frame of tasks and goals. 3. The way of reverencing and honoring sacrificers in other nations Most of evacuees in different countries belong to the Second World War. Since, this war is considered as the biggest war in the history from the point of its dimension, war range, and killed people, there are considerable parts of evacuees in affected countries belonging to this generation.
There are different activities for reverencing and honoring evacuees in every country according to the amount of them. Azarbaiyjan Azerbaijan is one of countries whose evacuees had been present in the Second World War. There are only a few of them who have been killed in the wars between Azerbaijan and Armenia that being added to this population. Although there is never an exact statistics of the ones who killed in the war, according to statistics, Azerbaijan has about 7000 war paralyzed and one million evacuees.
The caretaker of disabled people in this country is the retired center of the World War II as well as eight non-governmental organizations and foundations. Moreover, a special branch in the presidency and cabinet executes and observes affairs related to war disabled and retired people’s social security. Given services to war evacuees in Azerbaijan contain paying salaries and bonus to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class family members of casualties, preparing employment and job finding for disabled peoples and participants in the war, giving educational services, giving cooperative, social affairs, and public services such as using the transportation system free of charge, except planes, ships, and taxis tickets.

Germany suffered serious damages in this war as one of the main causes of the World War II that contains many war evacuees. After that event, this country was divided into two parts of western and eastern. In the last years of the 20th century, this country was unified again after the Soviet Union collapse. Moreover, the world did not let Germany form a new Army as it had before for a long time. German government prepared special facilities for casualties and MIA’s children. German government tried to grow those people’s children in a suitable environment away from their families who had suffered psychologically. Then, it found centers different from orphanages with special facilities and care to instruct those children in the years after the war. Facilities of these centers were so that all families and wives, who had lost their husbands in the war, sent their children to those centers eagerly. Now, regarding supporting of disabled and paralyzed people of the war, about 3200 blind people and 2300 of their spouses are under the coverage and support of the war blinds center. Besides, offering convenience and social services to 300000 of casualties’ families includes specifying special wheelchair for paralyzed people, predicting their trafficking in buildings and markets, specifying special places of parking for cars in streets and public places.
The United States of America The United States of America has experienced war much more than other countries. There is a difference between the US wars and other countries and it is that most of the US wars have been outside of this country and in form of defending the US interests. We can count some of them such as Mexico wars (1848), Civil Wars (1866), India wars (1869- 1898), Spain-US war (1898), Philippines’ uprising (1899), Boxer uprising (1900), Cuba conflict (1909), punishing campaign in Mexico (1916), Vera cruise campaign (1914), the 1st World War (1917-21), the 2nd World War and Korea war (1940-50), Vietnam War and others (1955-76), Iran and Lebanon’s conflict (1970-90), Granada invasion, Panama invasion, the Persian Gulf conflict (1990), and the recent years’ invasion of this country to Afghanistan and Iraq. Every person (from every nation), who is in the United States of America’s army and becomes paralyzed, will be under support of Disabled and Veteran American soldiers organization (DAV).
To do that, more than 60 organizations are giving services to disabled people. Mostly, officers have the responsibility of doing such things for disabled people. The Veteran soldiers organization has a magazine and informs American veteran soldiers all news about law changes, payments, etc. the American veteran soldiers performs the following programs for people under its coverage:
1. Catastrophes Community Fund to support them when a catastrophe
2. Giving information to disabled veteran soldiers for participating in conferences (along with their relatives)
3. Predicting the extension program of Vietnam’s veteran soldiers because of appearance some local special diseases among soldiers participating in Vietnam’s war 4. Taking care of older soldiers because of their more problems due to disabled people’s age increase
5. Covering relatives including spouses, children, children-in-law, parents, and schoolchildren up to the age of 23 as well as husbands of women who take part in wars
6. Giving services to disabled people for buying cars such as giving a 8000 $ aid to the ones who need to have cars to buy cars. By the way, considering the type of disability, required tools are installed on their cars.
7. Giving special adaptive houses according to the type of disability
8. Paying the expense of clothes that is 534$ a year
9. Giving special instruction to disabled soldiers when he needs professional instruction services
10. Increasing veterans’ salary bonuses according to increase of their salaries and social security. In the United States of America, a veteran’s bonus never decreases. 11. Protecting remained people from disabled veterans’ families by taking them under legal support after their death in case of having payment condition Some of the most famous memorials in the world have been built in the United States of America. Vietnam’s wall having a list of fallen people in Vietnam War on itself as well as the great pool of Oklahoma City which has been built for memorial of victims of Oklahoma bomb planting reflecting sky image in itself are two of the most famous buildings of this sort.
(Cultural Heritage News Agency, 18/10/82) Austria In Austria whose war evacuees generally belong to the Second World War, the social security organization has a complex structure having more than one hundred years experience. Disabled people who have been disabled in war can have special advantages such as social insurance, nursing financial help, social services, and paying social compensation. Special helps are also given to the ones who have fought or killed for Army’s independence. Now, the numbers of people who have been hurt with Austrian nationality are 80 thousand people. Besides, relatives of such disabled people can receive payment after their death in particular cases.
The United Kingdom In England, November is called “Poppy Day.”? Perhaps, the reason why is the First World War was finished at 11 hour of the same day in 1918.i.e. the 11th day of the 11th moth of the year. (So, some people know the number 11 as the number of war’s end) In 1915(i.e. three years before the war’s end), after issuance of John Mc Kerry’s poem called “In Flanders Fields,”? “Poppy”? red flower became a symbol of the fallen people in the war. It is said that this flower has a characteristic that its seeds do not grow in soil even if it remains for one year, unless the ground is plowed. In 1918, Ms. Moira Michael said a poem called “We shall keep the faith.”? She stated in her poem that she would stick Poppy flower on her clothes to honor the ones who had been killed in the war on this day. From then on, English people repeated the same thing every year to cherish the memory of victims in battlefields in their minds.
(http://persianblog.com) Tajikistan One of the most important days of year in Tajikistan is the day of victory in war, or according to Tajik people, “The Day of Dominance.”? Old veterans of the Second World War, whose remained members are between 70 and 80 years old now, gather and take part in a formal and serious ceremony and are honored by that country’s authorities. This day is held not only in Tajikistan, but also throughout the region’s countries at the same time with almost the same ceremonies.
Putting bunches of flower under memorials of anonymous soldiers, sending formal messages, and offering helps in cash and kind to veteran soldiers are some of them. At this day, radio and TV make interviews with old people who had experienced the war and cherish their memories of the war days again. (http://persian.kargah.com) Turkmenistan Turkmen people honor the ones who had been killed in the Second World War in May 8 (Ordibehesht 18), by giving alms. They hold the celebration of victory in this war in May 9 (Ordibehesht 19). (Hamshahri 19/02/82, volume 3044) A Turkmen old man with golden medals on his chest is talking gloriously about the war against racialist Nazis of Germany.
The crowd present in the memorial of killed soldiers in the World War II, from the president to ordinary people, is listening to his speech with reverence and honor. Turkmen people gather in the second month of every spring in the memorial place of killed people in the Second World War to honor them by bringing bunches of flower. In this ceremony, old veterans of this war are reverenced and honored. It seems that carrying their medals is a little hard for them, because, they have many medals on their clothes.
According to statistics announced from Turkmenistan’s authorities, almost 700 thousands of Turkmen people had taken part in the Second World War. There are different statistics from 250 to 400 thousands about people who had been killed in this war. The number of injured people in this war is not clear; but Niazof has said in one of his speeches that each Turkmen family has suffered this war somewhat. Turkmen government declared all killed people in this war and their relatives as “Turkmenistan’s national heroes”? by issuing a resolution in 2000. In Turkmenistan, 5217 people of the ones who had taken part in the war are still alive and the government considers special advantages for them all. Turkmen government executes special supporting policies about left injured people from the Second World War and Afghanistan War as well.
Safar Morad Niazof, Turkmenistan’s president, believes that, “We will never forget our heroes who showed courage in this war, since; they are suitable models of patriotism for our coming generation.”? Niazof honors old heroes who always carry tens of honor medals on their chest. These old men and women combatants take part in most of formal and national ceremonies in Turkmenistan wearing uniforms ornamented by different medals. When these groups of old men and women appear in public wearing uniforms ornamented with honor medals, people, officials, and civil authorities treat them with respect. Combatants of war in Turkmenistan have special advantages such as free medicine and treatment, retirement payment (more than other retired people), house, some of food materials as well as free using of transportation systems Turkmen government has signed agreements with iron curtain countries according to which people survived from the Second World War and Afghanistan War are free from visa expense for traveling among Turkmenistan and countries of the commonwealth society.
Although the number of survived people of the Second World War is decreasing day by day in Turkmenistan and reverence and honor of the Soviet Union history is fading, and the ancient and epic history of Turkmenistan is replacing it, Still, the memory of the Second World War, millions of killed and disabled people in this war is alive and forever with an ever-light torch under the statue of anonymous soldier in one of beautiful parks of Ashkhabad. (The Islamic republic 25/09/83) Japan Japan is one of industrial countries in the world whose scientific and industrial development has been founded on the destruction remained after the Second World War.
Although unpleasant effects of nuclear bomb affected life in Japan, this country could decrease unpleasant effects of war on its economy considering the culture of diligence and planning among Japanese people.
In this country, Management and Coordination Office as well as the Ministry of Health and Job Safety work in the field of payment of the Armed forces’ personnel and services for non-military personnel. Japan’s payment system (including Armed forces) has a long 119 years history. This system has conditions like suspending allowances, deserving to get allowances, cutting allowances…. Iraq Our country remembers the memory of the 8-year war against Iraq, and on the other hand, Iraq will never forget the experience of fighting Iranian combatants and their sacrifice. To keep its soldiers’ spirit, Iraq made a lot of effort throughout the war. After dying of soldiers, some advantages were considered for them such as the house allowance according to which a house (apartment) was registered to a dead soldier’s wife and his children.
It must be said that if a family had more than one killed person in the war, they were given a piece of property with larger area. Besides, they had other facilities such as prohibition of evacuating killed army’s houses, exemption of tax for building houses for remained families, and paying 30000$ to build a house that was considered as a praise for them. Another service to them was free of charge treatment in every part of the country as well as cultural services such as naming a day as the Martyr Day and giving courage medals to gratify them. Giving salaries and bonuses, instructional services, the privilege of buying cars, and other special public services can be counted as services given to martyrs’ families in Iraq. In other countries like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, India, South and North Korea, Libya, Kuwait, Cuba, Canada, etc., there are privileges specialized to sacrificers according to their needs.
It must be mentioned that on one hand, there is a tight relation between countries’ development and their helps to sacrificers i.e. the more countries have political, economical, social, and cultural growth and extension, the more servicing facilities for their sacrificers, and from the other hand, taking a look to the history of countries that have experienced independence wars less than half a century before as well as countries showing a cruel and bloody feature in different parts of the world by their politicians’ policies and using military facilities and human resources, we find out that they constantly select new policies and methods to honor their armed forces, wars’ evacuees, and martyrs’ families.
(Economy World 21/11/83) Holding some ceremonies for reminding combatants’ sacrifices have universal aspects. For example, usage of Chlorine gas by German forces against the allied forced in the First World War resulted in awful death of more than 5000 people and injury of 15000 French and Canadian soldiers which is considered as one of the darkest points of the history. This day i.e. April 22, 1915 is known among the people of the world as “The birthday of chemical warfare”? and it has been many years that this day is honored with holding a big ceremony and presence of peacemakers from all parts of the world in this city.
On this day, non-governmental organizations that are activating against chemical weaponry are invited. http://persian.kargah.com) Iran In our country, founding foundations like the Martyr Foundation of the Islamic revolution, Devotees’ affairs Organization, and headquarters of freemen affairs are some of them. Recently, integrated organizations have been made by combining sacrifice foundations to support sacrificers. Different internal and external aspects of wars evaluate their qualities and effects on countries’ political destiny as well as its international results. Despite passing of 15 years from the end of Iran and Iraq War, our people have never forgotten the memory of war against Iraq. The martyr foundation and devotees foundation are today two of the most important organizations that are playing the role of caretakers for sacrificers and their families’ affairs. This organization has done many activities in this field, which are not relevant to our subject right now to talk about. In the end, we point at some of sacrificers’ reverence and honor methods hoping that someday societies’ peaceful expectations replace with aggressive societies’ totalitarianism.
4. Conclusion and suggestion Each war carries cultural elements such as handwritings, poems, expressions, symbols…. Preserving and issuing these works reminds us of those good days that can be seen in particular places right now such as museums in which we can witness combatants and martyrs’ memories, works, and glories in an artistic form. These museums must be designed in a way that show battlefields, war events and incidents, and all armed forces’ function in the war, and still, it must be a demonstrator of integrity and unity of the front, rear, and different types of people’s cooperation during the period of the 8-year sacred defense. Although there have been many activities about reverencing and honoring sacrificers, some methods seem to be influential in preserving memories of the war and combatants’ altruistic behaviors, sacrifices, and devotions. Some of these methods are listed as follows: - Preserving a small town, regions of a town, or even destroyed buildings as what have been done in Khoramshahr, Ghasreshirin, Sarepolezahab, and Marivan. Existence of such places expresses and reminds of the enemy’s invasion and their destructive signs on the mentioned cities’ appearance.
- Creating an identity for constructing buildings, historical places, installations, plants, schools, and mosques, or creating a memorial building as well as an epitaph to give the least required information about the quality of destruction, the time of accident, and its memories. Such a thing can be considered as an ID card of construction and can be placed in the entrance of those places.
- Creating a plastic arts center of the sacred defense for committed artists’ activities and keens of designing, planning, and creating plastic or volume arts. Such a center can be influential in memorial centers, memorial buildings, operations models, graphic, painting, and pictorial designs of the war epic events, designing emblems and symbols, models and boards, high relieves, memorial stamps, and posters of war.
- Creating facilities in sacrificers’ work places in a way they are suitable to their physical conditions considering the necessity of paying attention to their physical disabilities.
- Approving specific laws to popularize health and treatment for everyone in the society; especially, for in-born disabled people, paralyzed people, or the ones who suffer physical damages caused by war. This is an influential step provide their convenience and peace.
- Editing laws and regulations to enhance recovery of war paralyzed and disabled people using state-of-the-art technologies. This provides a better life for them. - Extending and equipping recovery centers specialized for devotees as well as paying attention to their problems such as the problem of employment caused by their physical disability.
- Creating facilities such as resting wile working, the rights of decreasing work hours, the possibility of using special medical leaves for sacrificers.
- Specifying a percentage of different governmental organizations’ personnel for absorbing sacrificers
- Creating a center for production of movies about the sacred defense, creating a comprehensive archive of documentary films taken in the war and different operation, and producing movies about commanders, freemen, and martyrs’ lives.
- Creating a center for chants, laments, music, and martial marshes of the war and the sacred defense.
- Creating a center for publishing cultural, artistic, historical, scientific, and military works about the war as well as activating literary gatherings and fields such as poem, writing stories and novels, memories, reports, and supporting publishers of this sort of works. (Adibi sadeh, 164)