Conquering Phoenix, A Tribute to a Great Martyr

The Conqueror Phoenix (Ghoghnous-e Fateh)

The book "The Conqueror Phoenix" (Ghoghnous-e Fateh) is written by Gol-Ali Babaei. By reading this book, the audience becomes acquainted with the life story of the martyred student, Mohsen Vezvaei. The author has strived to remain strictly faithful to actual events, serving solely as a narrator for: Dozens of pages of memories recorded in the Sacred Defense archives. Hundreds of minutes of audio recordings from military negotiations and wireless radio communications. Surviving documents held by Martyr Vezvaei’s close associates.

Notable Chapter Titles

Some of the titles of the memories compiled in this book include: Dear God, We Have Come, The Conquerors of the Devil's Den,  A Nuptial Chamber in an Alley,  Ahmad, Ahmad, Vezvaei!, The Five-Second Leap, The Enemy Confesses, Sweet Pain, The Artillery of the Fourth Corps, Goodbye, the Fruit of my Heart.  "The Conqueror Phoenix" has been published jointly by Shahed and Fatehan publications in 304 pages.

Who Was Mohsen Vezvaei?

The wartime record of the Martyred Mohsen Vezvaei during the Sacred Defense includes: Command of the Habib ibn Mazahir Battalion, Command of the newly established 10th Mohammad Rasulullah (PBUH) Brigade,  Command of the 10th Seyyed al-Shohada Brigade, Command of the IRGC Communications Battalion, Supervision of Operations Intelligence. In 1978, Martyr Vezvaei achieved the first rank nationwide in Iran's university entrance exam (Konkoor) in the field of Chemistry. During the tumultuous days of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he shouldered the critical responsibility of guiding revolutionary fighters and played an influential role in the decisive armed clashes of that year. He displayed exceptional courage in the capture of two major military bases in Tehran: Jamshidieh and Eshratabad.

In the early stages of the Iran-Iraq War, Mohsen Vezvaei played an active role in planning the operation to liberate the "Bazi Deraz Heights." He was wounded during this operation and transferred to Tehran. In the hospital, despite being in severe pain, he did not groan. When a doctor expressed amazement at his high pain tolerance, Vezvaei replied: "Doctor! The more pain I endure, the more joy I feel, and I feel that through this, I am drawing closer to my God!"

On April 12, 1982, Martyr Vezvaei entered Operation ela Beit-ol-Moqaddas. To ensure a more effective execution of the operation, it was decided to merge the 10th Seyyed al-Shohada Brigade (under Vezvaei's command) with the Hazrat-e Rasul (PBUH) Brigade. Mohsen Vezvaei was appointed as the commander of the main axis during Operation Beit-ol-Moqaddas. On April 30 of that same year, at the young age of 22, he was martyred due to bullet wounds and shrapnel injuries. Martyr Vezvaei had gone to the war front as a volunteer.

Gol-Ali Babaei and The Conqueror Phoenix

Gol-Ali Babaei explains his reasoning for choosing the title "The Conqueror Phoenix" (Ghoghnous-e Fateh) for the memoirs of Martyr Mohsen Vezvaei: "Like Iran's mythical and legendary bird, the phoenix (Ghoghnous), Martyr Vezvaei approached the brink of martyrdom several times and returned, until he was ultimately martyred during the first operation to liberate Khorramshahr in 1982. I chose the title 'Conqueror' (Fateh) because of his roles in the capture of the U.S. Espionage Den (Embassy) and the victories in the Bazi Deraz and Beit-ol-Moqaddas operations."

The author of the book states that he wrote The Conqueror Phoenix because: "Figures like Martyr Vezvaei, given the specific meaning and definition of sacrifice and martyrdom they pursued in their lives, are the cultural and ideological heritage of this country." Gol-Ali Babaei is one of the prominent authors of the Sacred Defense era. The publication of the book "Along with the Thunderbolt" (Hampay-e Saeqeh) in the year 2000 brought him widespread recognition. Some of the most important works by this author include: From Alvand to Gharaviz (Az Alvand ta Gharaviz), The Spring of 82 (Bahar-e 82), Earthen Overlays (Kalk-ha-ye Khaki), The Ninth Battalion (Gordan-e Nahom), Habib: A New Birth (Habib; Tavallodi Digar), The Message of the Fish (Peygham-e Mahi-ha), From the Lineage of Habib (Az Tabar-e Habib). To date, 38 books by Gol-Ali Babaei have been published in the field of the Iran-Iraq War.

 

Multiple Reprints and Translation

Since its initial publication, the book "The Conqueror Phoenix" has been reprinted 14 times. In its second edition, the book underwent editing, and five new narratives were added to it. Approximately one-third of the final pages of this book are dedicated to the biography, testament, and photographs of the martyred commander, Mohsen Vezvaei, from his time on the Sacred Defense battlefronts. In 2022, The Conqueror Phoenix was translated into English by Mohaddeseh Asadi Movahed. This translation was a collaborative effort between Al-Hoda International Publication and Shahed Publication. The translated book was published in paperback format (Chaharghat/Medium Octavo) across 197 pages. Ms. Asadi Movahed explains her reasons for deciding to translate the book as follows: "I believe that introducing the martyrs on both national and international levels has not received the decent attention it deserves, even though this culture is character-building and deeply impactful. For this reason, it must be given more attention than ever before."