TEHRAN – Maryam Eskandarian is one of the thousands of Iranian women who have dedicated their life to help people since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli imposed war on February 28.

As the war enters its fifth week, streets across the country still remain filled each night with the faithful people who are participating in rallies to show solidarity against the enemy in support of the country.
 
In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times, Eskandarian, a general practitioner who has also studied law and media management, elaborated on her motivation and the way she is contributing to maintaining and boosting social stability and resilience among people by attending the rallies. 

When did you first join public gatherings in streets and what do you exactly do there?

It was the second night of the war. I came to street telling people who passed me by that it is true that the war has just started, but by showing great resilience, we can make our country a safe place for living and our children. We should overcome our fears and define resistance and resilience in the world. 

What is the primary motivation for your nightly presence in streets? 

To be honest, my primary motivation was to act as a positive role model for others and help them find the courage to deal with this difficult situation.

When people see a courageous person is sitting calmly to boost morale among citizens, while others are terrified and stressed out trying to take refuge in shelters, or immediately leave streets and alleys, and enemy fighters bombarding the city, they, men or women, will start thinking if a woman can be cool and collected amidst conflicts, so we can too.

You have a ten-month baby girl. Has the situation ever made it difficult for you to carry out your mission?

Of course, she is highly dependent on family members, particularly her mother. I always think of her while I am out of the house. I also have a son, he is 16 years old. My son understands the current affairs better, but he is stressful and concerned about things going on in the country. He keeps texting and calling me every night to make sure I am okay because apart from airstrikes, sometimes it is rainy and bitterly cold outside. These things make it really hard for everyone, especially a woman, to go on, but your goals and motivations help me tolerate all these hardships.

Did you start the mission on your own? Have you ever thought about inviting your colleagues to join you and set up a network in the city or even the country?

Yes, at the beginning, I was alone. Some of my colleagues joined me, but they gave up after a while, mainly because we had access to people’s health records and reports, which made it hard to correctly diagnose their illnesses. People’s answers to questions are not always precise, and we cannot follow up on their conditions after treatment.

Despite all these challenges, I intended to start a campaign to form a team; luckily, some have already announced readiness to join me.

How do people react to what you are doing for them?

At the first few nights, they seem to be astonished to see a very relaxed doctor, a young woman, is examining people in the street, but then they felt relaxed, as well. They treat me with great respect, much more than what I have experienced in my office or hospitals.

Most of referrals are highly stressed out, with symptoms such as palpitations, high or low blood pressure. Some suffer muscular spams, out of panic, in their necks, shoulders, hearts, even their eyes. After being visited, they feel happy and confident. They wish me well. Most of them return with a family member, a friend, or even a neighbour. 

They even tell me “we feel more comfortable to join gatherings when we see you here. Because we know someone is here to help us if there is any problem.”

I have done my best to be helpful and I will continue to stand by my people. And in fact, I have faced emergency cases to treat at the scene during these nights, people with low blood pressure, a case of epileptic fit, and even there was a person who had fell down and his head was badly bleeding. 

Please tell us about one of the best memories that you have had so far.

Well, one night, a woman with her three children, two girls and a boy, come to me. She was complaining about a splitting headache, being sleepless, and feeling sick. As soon as I examined her, I knew right away that she was pregnant. She refused it, saying that she had taken a test before. I recommended her to take a test again. The next night, she came back with her husband and children with a gift for me as they understood that she is really pregnant. What was more interesting to me was that they were, particularly the three children, thrilled by the news. Of course, I didn’t take the gift. Watching them leaving happily was the best gift for me.

How long do you want to go on with your activities?

Actually, under these specific circumstances, being with people is full of surprises every single night. I have made friends with many volunteers from all walks of life, including lawyers, psychologists, calligraphers, and even housewives, who are all serving people. We have a lot in common. We have decided to be here till the end of the war and our victory, as long as it takes. 

 What is the importance of women’s presence in nightly gatherings? 

In my idea, women’s participation is more influential in any situation. They handle crises better because of their inherent capabilities. As we have seen over the past nights, women have had a noticeable presence. Overall, people’s participation, apart from their gender, in public spaces is critical since the current war has two aspects, military forces are responsible for armed conflicts, and people have the responsibility of safeguarding the cities.