Meet the man who tackled Shiraz shrine terrorist and averted a massacre  

By Amir Mohammad

The terrorist attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine in southern Iran’s Shiraz city earlier this month shocked the nation and claimed two precious lives. It also introduced to the world another Iranian braveheart, a hero in real life – Farzad Badpa.

At the time of the attack, which came less than a year after another gruesome attack on the popular 12th-century shrine, Badpa was serving as a servant there and was not in charge of the security.

The heavily-armed terrorist barged inside the shrine, killing two and injuring eight others, and then scampered through the yard towards the mausoleum where dozens of pilgrims were praying.

According to his own testimony, Badpa first thought of the shots as fireworks, and then rushed outside and saw a female pilgrim bleeding from her leg. That’s when he realized it was a terrorist attack.

"At that moment, I looked at the dome of the shrine, and my heart found solace. I sensed someone behind me pushing me forward, telling me to keep moving,” Badpa expressed his feelings.

“I firmly believed that Shah Cheragh’s divine presence stood by my side.”

The terrorist was hell-bent on sneaking inside the shrine as soon as possible and didn’t bother to look behind, as he possibly didn’t expect anyone to catch hold of him or pin him down.

That was a miscalculation. Security cameras recorded Badpa chasing the Kalashnikov-wielding terrorist, knocking him down and neutralizing his weapon. All this happened within seconds.

The possibility of being shot at or the likelihood of the terrorist wearing an explosive vest didn't scare Badpa, who pinned down the terrorist while others came rushing and took the terrorist away.

He reportedly carried an assault rifle and eight magazines with 240 bullets, 11 of which he managed to get off before being subdued by Badpa. That saved the lives of dozens of innocent pilgrims.

Soon after the dastardly terrorist attack and the heroic feat of Badpa to save so many precious lives, dozens of journalists and media outlets rushed to find out who this brave savior was.

However, he appeared reserved and quiet, even camera shy, as if he was bothered by the attention and fame he was getting. Also, he did not take any credit for himself, explaining his feat in these words:

"Every Iranian would have done the same thing. I only did what thousands of other people have done for this country before me. It doesn’t matter what job we hold, we Iranians are always ready to sacrifice ourselves for our religion and country,” he was quoted as saying in the media.

Badpa also stated that after completing a training course at the 05 Training Center in Kerman, he was a soldier at the Army Infantry Training Center in Shiraz, where he was trained in the ranger unit.

This military experience, along with his exemplary physical fitness and courage, proved critical as he confronted the heavy-armed terrorist with his bare hands.

Badpa's heroic feat was recognized, rewarded and lauded by many prominent figures from the circles of Iranian politics, armed forces, law, and sports.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi honored him with a gold plaque. Badpa himself expressed his desire to someday meet the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Badpa also happened to be a guest at the opening session of the Iranian parliament last week, where his exemplary act of bravery was commended by speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and other MPs.

"Today, we have the opportunity to host a brave and self-sacrificing Iranian. Perhaps he had no legal duty, but his Islamic duty, the spirit of martyrdom, and his courage made him defend the lives of the pilgrims who came to the shrine," Qalibaf stated.

At a ceremony in his native city Shiraz, Badpa and his family were received and felicitated by Aref Nowrozi, the head of the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO or Setad), and Mohammad-Hadi Imanieh, the governor general of southern Fars province.

Imanieh described Badpa as a model of courage and altruism, a man who cares more about the lives of others than his own, adding that numerous organizations are interested in accepting him as a member.

Badpa's wish was to become a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to which the IRGC commander Major General Hossein Salami agreed and issued an order to recruit him.

Badpa was also hosted and honored by the Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, who awarded him the coveted ‘Order of Sacrifice’.

"With this commendable action, you have earned the honor of Iran and Iranians, and shown the sworn enemies of the Islamic Republic that they will always be defeated by the zeal, faith and commitment of the devoted Iranian youth," Sayyari said.

Badpa was also warmly received by prominent Iranian athletes, including Hassan Yazdani, an Olympic and world champion in freestyle wrestling, who handed him his armband.

He was also hosted by the Iranian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, where he met with sports officials and received a medal of honor from the federation head Abdulmahdi Nasirzadeh.

At the end of the ceremony, due to Badpa's interest in wrestling, a friendly match was held between him and one of the champions of the federation.

While his name reverberated across Iran in recent weeks, Western media didn’t even mention his heroics. They didn’t even properly report about the terrorist attack, terming it an “incident.”

In the last year, the same media tried to find their "heroes" inside Iran, in line with their nefarious “regime change” agenda and found them in miscreants, thugs, hooligans and slacktivists.

For them, "heroes" are those who murder policemen on streets, vandalize and burn public property, and shout foreign-invented slogans from windows at night, or under pseudonyms on social networks.

Therefore, it is not surprising that a pious, humble and modest shrine servant who fights bare-handed against an armed terrorist deserves no attention in the Western media.

Badpa, his deeds and his wishes represent the antipode of their values. He didn't take down a terrorist to take a selfie and collect likes on the internet, but to save the innocent lives of his countrymen.

He didn't crave for attention, interviews and fame, he got it by accident because of security cameras, and he didn't brag about himself in front of the cameras and appeared completely humble.

Among all the lucrative jobs offered to him, he chose to be a soldier of the IRGC. That’s what heroes do.

Amir Mohammad is a Tehran-based journalist and lecturer.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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