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An Iranian disabled veteran Disabled Iranian veterans, called ''janbaz'' (, literally "those who were willing to lose their lives") in
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, mostly constitute the
disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
s of the
Iran–Iraq war The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
. According to Mohammad Esfandiari, director of communications and public relations of Iran's Martyrs and Disabled Veterans' Organization, there are 548,499 disabled veterans of the
Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
living in Iran as of June 2014, a number which includes the victims of Iraq's chemical weapon attacks on Iran, called "chemical ''janbaz''" (). Among the disabled veterans are more than 10,000 veterans with foot and ankle injuries related to war.


Chemical warfare veterans

After Iraqi chemical attacks against Iranian soldiers and civilians that occurred from 1983 to 1988, over 3,400 Iranians reportedly sustained injuries, including
respiratory The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies gr ...
(42%),
ocular An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the eye ...
(39%) and skin complications (25%) – a number which increased to at least 45,000 twenty years later "due to the occurrence of late respiratory complications of
mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur compound, organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH2CH2Cl)2, as well as other Chemical species, species. In the wi ...
exposure." "The latency period can be as much as 40 years" and "So almost every day there are new cases — 30 years after the war," said Shahriar Khateri, co-founder of the Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support. According to Farhad Hashemnezhad in 2002, at least 20 percent of the patients were "civilians who didn't think they were close enough to be exposed." This large number of chemically affected veterans has made Iran the world's largest laboratory for the study of the effects of
chemical weapons A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as ...
. According to a declassified
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
report, as a result of Iraq's repeated use of nerve agents and toxic gases in the 1980s, Iran suffered more than 50,000 casualties mostly by
mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur compound, organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH2CH2Cl)2, as well as other Chemical species, species. In the wi ...
used in dusty, liquid and vapor forms packed into
bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
s and
artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
shells that were then fired at targets including front lines and hospitals. According to Shahriar Khateri, by 2014 the number of registered chemically affected veterans was 70,000. "awareness could have saved lives," Khateri said. Doctors estimate that the final toll of Iraq's chemical weapons could be as high as 90,000, equal to the total deaths from all toxic gases in World War I. It also was the "first time ever that nerve agents such as
sarin Sarin (NATO designation GB nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound.tabun were employed."


PTSD and other mental disorders

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
and other mental disorders have increased in aging Iranian war veterans.


Services

Mobility and access to medical care are one of the major challenges for many disabled Iranian veterans. In
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
alone there are very few
wheelchair A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...
-accessible
ramps A ramp, or inclined plane, is a simple machine. Ramp, Ramps, RAMP, may also refer to: People * James J. Ramp (died 1978), Philadelphia police officer * Jenny Ramp (born 2003), Filipina beauty pageant titleholder * Pieter Ramp (1592–1660), ...
, elevators and parking spots and the problem is more serious in smaller cities. This is while by 2018 over 5,000 disabled Iranian veterans, mostly living in the capital, are reliant on wheelchairs for mobility. According to the Tehran Metro Group many more elevators are needed in Tehran's subway system. To provide better services for disabled veterans, the Iranian government has announced that around $5 million has been dedicated to constructing ramps and wheelchair-accessible paths throughout Tehran. No similar official plans are dedicated for other cities in Iran. In Tehran, chemical weapons victims are often referred to the Sasan Hospital. The
Tehran Peace Museum The Tehran Peace Museum is a member of the International Network of Museums for Peace. The main objective of the museum is to promote a culture of peace through raising awareness about the devastating consequences of war, with a focus on the h ...
plans to focus on the enduring human consequences of Iran–Iraq War and serves as a centre for surviving victims of the war, especially chemical warfare veterans attacked by Saddam Hussein's forces. In addition to numerous laws and regulations the Iranian government has passed to address disability related issues, the Disability Protect Act, including 16 articles providing legal protections for disabled persons in areas such as public building access, education, housing and finance, has been Iran's most progressive and comprehensive legislation concerning disabled persons which was passed in 2003. The ''Janbazan'' Foundation is created by Iran government for the assistance of Iranian disabled veterans and for giving them special treatment. They also receive services such as financial loan from
Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs The Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs ( ''Bonyad Shahid va Omur-e Ithargaran'') is an Iranian foundation that receives its funding directly from the national budget. Saeed Ohadi is the current director of the organization. The Foundati ...
.


In popular culture

Veterans are presented with awards and thanked for their service in formalities such as ceremonies, which are widely covered in the Iranian media. The "Disabled Veterans' Day" in May and
Sacred Defence Week The Sacred Defence Week ( ''Hafte Defâ Moqaddas'', also translated ''Holy Defence Week'') is an Iranian annual commemoration of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War (often called "the Sacred Defence" in Iran). It is marked by military parades. It is s ...
(Sept. 20–27) commemorates the commencement of the Iran–Iraq War. According to
Ali Khamenei Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...
, "disabled war veterans are images of the war crimes of big powers who encouraged former Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
to invade Iran."


See also

*
Wounded in action Wounded in action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing ...
*
Martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
*
Iraqi chemical attacks against Iran During the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), Ba'athist Iraq, Iraq engaged in chemical warfare against Iran on multiple occasions, including more than 30 targeted attacks on Iranian civilians. Iran employed its own chemical warfare against Iraq on ...
* '' Az Karkheh ta Rhein'', Iranian movie


References

{{Portal bar, Iran, Shia Islam Iran–Iraq War Disability in Iran Chemical weapons in the Iran–Iraq War
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...