At the “Children in the Crossfire of Aggression” roundtable, psychologist and university lecturer Dr. Fatemeh Azarkhordad spoke about her field experience in Zahedan and Chabahar. She stressed that, since 2009, Sistan and Baluchestan has been the scene of organized terrorist violence that has killed children — tragedies that are not confined to the incident in Minab.
Dr. Azarkhordad began by referring to two painful incidents: the attack on the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Zahedan, which took place on the eve of the birthday of Hazrat Abolfazl al-Abbas during celebrations marking the occasion, and the attack on the Husseiniyeh in Chabahar, which occurred on Tasua. Families had gathered for these religious ceremonies, she said, when terrorism suddenly turned an atmosphere of spirituality into a scene of blood and terror.
One important issue Dr. Azarkhordad raised was the difficulty of communicating with victims’ families. “I contacted four or five of the families and even sent messages, but only two families were willing to be interviewed,” she said. That reluctance, in itself, reflects the depth of a pain that has driven families inward and prevents them from retelling the tragedy.
Addressing the complex dimensions of terrorism against children, Dr. Azarkhordad described it as “the most effective and, at the same time, the most complex form of terrorism.” On the one hand, she explained, a child’s innocence raises the question, “For what sin is their blood being shed?” On the other, the messages and consequences such an incident brings to the family are exceptionally deep and enduring.
She then recounted one family’s harrowing story. “One survivor, Mr. Khosravi, told me that after his child was martyred, the mother developed multiple sclerosis and died 40 days ago,” she said. “Even after all these years, the stress, anxiety and pain surrounding that three-year-old child have never subsided.” The account offered a picture of terrorism’s psychosomatic effects and of pain passing from one generation to the next.
Pointing to terrorism’s profound impact on mental health, Dr. Azarkhordad stressed that such events wound not only the minds of children and adults but also society as a whole, leaving severe consequences and contributing to psychosomatic illness. “When I speak with the families, it is genuinely difficult for them to express their feelings,” she said. “That sense of psychological security has not returned, even after 10 or 15 years.”
Referring to victims’ families’ calls for social support, Dr. Azarkhordad said society often assumes that martyrs’ families “probably receive many benefits and have everything provided for them,” but the reality is different. She emphasized the need for sustained psychological services extending far beyond the first days after an incident.
She also discussed the effects of war and terrorism on adolescents and young adults. “Just last week, a teenager asked me, ‘What will happen to my future?’” she said. “There is severe, pervasive anxiety: what if we die, what if something happens?” For children and adolescents, she explained, the question of the future is much more sensitive than it is for adults, intensifying their stress and fear about what lies ahead.
In closing, Dr. Azarkhordad pointed to therapeutic approaches such as play therapy and the creation of psychological shelters or safe spaces. She stressed the need for psychology centers to support children affected by terrorism and expressed hope that Iran’s psychological community could take an effective step toward helping them and seeking justice for the blood spilled in Minab, Zahedan, Chabahar and other cities.