The Base of Congress 60

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
With strength drawn from the Absolute Power of God, we begin this session.
Hello, friends. I am Hossein, a traveler and the session guardian.
(Audience responds: Hello, Hossein!)
I kindly ask everyone to observe fourteen seconds of silence to seek refuge in the Almighty and free ourselves from our greatest enemy—our own ignorance and unawareness.
(Fourteen seconds of silence observed)
Thank you, friends. I now request our esteemed secretary to provide a summary of the previous session and announce today’s agenda.
Hello, friends. My name is Farshad, and I am a traveler.
(Audience responds: Hello, Farshad!)
In the name of the Absolute Power of God, today the ninth session of the 86th round of Congress 60 workshops, dated December 3, 2025 is held with the agenda “The Base of Congress 60”. The session started under the guidance and supervision of Mr. Dezhakam and me Farshad as the secretary at 09:45 a.m.
(Audience applauds)
Hello friends, I’m Hossein, a traveler.
I hope you are all well; by the grace of God, I am fine too. Today is the 12th of Azar 1404 (December, 3, 2025). It is now 09:45 a.m., and we are at the Simorgh building in Tehran.
Today’s agenda topic is the “Base of Congress 60.” I would like to clarify—just as I have mentioned before—that although [celebration of] the Base Day of Congress 60 coincides with the anniversary of my liberation from addiction, the subject being discussed is not the anniversary of my liberation from addiction, even though today marks its twenty-eighth anniversary. The purpose of including “The Base of Congress 60” in the weekly agenda topics is to provide an opportunity for the senior members to speak in the sessions and explain how Congress 60 was formed and came into existence, and to talk about the ups and downs Congress 60 has gone through. It wasn’t the case that we could be in a building that belongs to us, have some floors of it as our own, or own buildings in other locations. It has now been twenty-seven or twenty-eight years of continuous work and effort, without even considering holidays. Some members were always working, and I was working as well. On this day—on the celebration of the Base of Congress 60—want to show what it took to get where we are today: the costs, the challenges, the hardships, and the crises we overcame.
When Congress 60 started, there were programs like the “Valadiyat Programs.” Possession of opium or heroin was severely punished—even small amounts could lead to execution. At that time, addiction was seen only as a moral or behavioral problem that needed to be corrected. Such issues existed, and it was in that context that we began, saying opium should be used as a medicine. We said this thirty years ago, and I am saying it again now. I even saw a member of parliament speaking online, saying: “Opium is a traditional substance and causes the least damage to the nervous system compared to meth, crack, heroin, hashish and marijuana. Hashish and marijuana is hundreds of times more dangerous than opium.” Back then, the members were using opium as a medicine to treat addiction. At that time, opium tincture was not available; it was around 2004 or 2005, if I remember correctly. But later, since the members of Congress 60 were successfully working on addiction cure and had achieved good results, opium tincture was introduced to the market and became part of the medical system. When opium tincture was first introduced into the medical system, everyone was against it. All of the country's systems and officials opposed it.
They weren’t to blame, [since they did not know the truth]; they would say, “Do you want to make people addicted to opium?” As I mentioned last time, in the United States, in Kentucky, there’s Fort Knox, if I’m not mistaken—a military base where all of America’s gold is stored. In fact, half of the world’s gold is kept there.
It’s a really strange military base—so strange that even the President can’t just visit this place. He has to plan ahead and coordinate everything. Once, back in Nixon’s time, he made a visit. Another time, it was under a different president… I think he was Nixon again. On another occasion, members of the United States Congress went there. They went to check whether the materials—whether the gold—were in place or not. They also went to clean up the cobwebs that had formed there.
Access there is so restricted that the gold is well-protected. The base is heavily guarded: the U.S. Declaration of Independence is there, the crown of the King of Hungary is there, I’m not sure, maybe the constitution of some place is there too. And what’s interesting is that alongside all these important and sensitive items, opium has been stored there—several thousand tons of it. In the U.S., where gold and rare items are stored, they haven’t kept wheat, food, penicillin, vitamins, medicines, or morphine—but they have stored opium, amounting to several thousand tons! During Nixon’s administration, he even gave order to add much more opium to the opium supply in Fort Knox. This shows how strategic opium has been—and still is. In contrast, in our country—Iran—there was an attempt to cultivate opium during one presidential term. Some opposed it, fearing people would become addicted. They thought their concern made sense—but in reality, it didn’t turn out that way.
Back in the time of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in Iran, opium was rationed. People who were 50 or 60 and older would go get it—they’d hand in their coupon and receive opium. Young people didn’t even bother with it. Our generation didn’t use opium at all; we only started later. At that time, in families, no one used it except the elderly.
Well, this is what we were dealing with. Under those circumstances, we said that to cure addiction we had to use opium — which was a very risky statement. But thanks to God, we were lucky that no one interfered with us, and we were able to do it. Later they saw that addiction really was being cured — those who were using opium for treatment were indeed recovering, and they did recover. That’s why opium tincture was introduced. When the opium tincture came out, all the medical systems tried it, but they all failed, because they didn’t know how to use it properly.
We carried out a 50-person pilot study which, in collaboration with INCAS (Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies), was highly successful. After that, the Center received approval for a two-thousand-person pilot project. Dr. Mokri secured a quota of two thousand participants so the study could be conducted on that scale. Out of those two thousand people, one thousand were assigned to Congress 60, and the remaining thousand were distributed among ten other organizations—each receiving one hundred participants. They said: a hundred people to this department, a hundred to another—whether government or non-governmental—whose names I prefer not to mention right now. Among all the groups, only Congress 60, which had cured a thousand people, achieved notable success. At least 800 of these individuals completed the full course of addiction cure, representing an exceptionally high success rate. In contrast, all other groups failed to produce significant results. Given the proven effectiveness observed in Congress 60, the authorities decided to distribute the medication (opium tincture) more widely and issued a top-level directive to integrate it into the national healthcare system.
At first, nobody cared about opium. Clinics wouldn’t take it—they said it was useless because they didn’t know how to use it for treatment. We kept insisting and imploring, “Come on, take the opium, try the opium tincture—it’s really good, it works!” But they just wouldn’t. But gradually, they realized it actually works, and people started flocking to the clinics (for getting opium tincture). Like everything in life, opium has its ups and downs too—sometimes it’s hard to find, and its price goes up and down, just like dollars or gold.
We were facing multiple crises in supplying opium or opium tincture, until the situation finally stabilized. The opium supply fluctuated—it was scarce, then abundant, then scarce again. When it ran low, some of the people in charge brought us opium tincture for the first time. On that first day, I asked, “What are the components of this solution? What percentage of it is opium? How is it made?” They replied, “We don’t know, it contains some percentage of morphine.” I said, “No, I want to know how much opium it contains. I don’t care about the morphine.” They said, “We don’t know.” I replied, “Alright, I’ll test it myself and let you know”. A week later, I met them and said, “I tested the opium tincture. It has 10% opium, 20% alcohol, and the rest is distilled water.” They looked surprised and asked, “Wait, how did you figure out that it’s 10% opium?”
I said, “I poured a hundred grams of the opium tincture into a bowl and left it out in the sun. You don’t need to boil it; some people do that just because they don’t know any better. Just leave it in the sun and the liquid part will evaporate on its own. After a while I saw that the hundred grams I’d left there turned into ten grams of opium. So I figured, okay, it must have ten percent opium.”
They asked, “How did you figure out how much alcohol it had?”
I said, “I poured the same amount of the opium tincture into a little dish and lit it. The alcohol caught fire and burned off, and the rest remained. That’s how I realized it had around twenty percent alcohol — meaning the opium tincture is about twenty percent alcohol, ten percent opium, and the rest distilled water.”
Then some people started raising issues, asking whether this Opium Tincture is allowed or forbidden by the religious instructions. They issued rulings saying it contains alcohol and is therefore Haram, forbidden, and so on. But the religious scholars said: “No, since it is used as medicine, it is not forbidden; it can be used safely.” Besides, how much alcohol is actually in the opium tincture you take? It’s not a whole glass or cup! It’s just a few cubic centimeters or a few drops. The amount of alcohol in opium tincture—when a person takes it—is only a few drops, which is very different from consuming alcoholic beverages in large amounts such as drinking a full bottle of whiskey. It’s practically negligible.
Making opium tincture is quite simple. I have visited the factories that produce it and observed how they make it. Ten grams of opium are ground and mixed with water, then more water is added so that it makes up about 70% of the mixture. The final tincture contains roughly 10% opium, 20% alcohol, and the rest distilled water. The opium and water are heated together to blend properly, and then alcohol is added to prevent mold and keep it from spoiling.
Making opium tincture like factories do is easy and not expensive. We need a large amount of opium each year, but unfortunately we have to buy it at high prices. Our money—gold or dollars—is spent on smuggling it from Afghanistan, or our young men at the border are killed trying to stop it, even though it’s the same opium we really need.
Back when opium tincture became hard to find, I said, “No problem—just make it yourselves, at your own risk. It’s not complicated. It’s not like methadone or buprenorphine that you can’t make. Go ahead, make it; it’s your medicine, after all. Try to get it from wherever you can, and if you can’t, just make it yourselves.” I even told the Drug Control Headquarters, “If you give us the tincture, great. If not, it’s okay — this is the medicine used by Congress 60 members, so they’ll make it themselves. And honestly, it’s not that hard to do.”
The issue is that even now, access to this medicine (opium tincture) might still be unstable. So don’t panic, don’t be afraid, and the guides shouldn’t worry thinking, “Oh no, what happened?” First, let them (travelers of addiction cure journey) go and look for their medicine themselves. God willingly, they’ll find it, and hopefully the clinics will provide it to us. The Drug Control Headquarters is also working hard to make this happen, but here it’s a matter of life and death; it’s about the medicine.
The articles we’ve presented for the treatment of cancer, MS, and other diseases showed the effects of opium (as a therapeutic drug), so it’s a whole different situation. Why don’t we use with methadone to treat cancer? Because opium is an incredibly valuable substance—God hasn’t created anything more complete than that. But people have misused it so much that it’s turned into one of the most dangerous things out there. So, if newcomers joining Congress 60 ever run into a shortage of opium tincture, just tell them: “We’ll give you your treatment plan. You’ll need to get your medicine; however, you can follow the program.”
Fortunately, the officials have been really supportive and so far haven’t left us short on medicine. What I mean is: don’t be afraid to ask, do not panic to wander asking what you should do” Hopefully, you’ll be able to handle it, because over these thirty years, we’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs, so it (a shortage of opium tincture) is already a solved issue for us. And hasn’t just been this one—we’ve faced many serious crises, but thankfully, with your help, we’ve managed to get through them.
This week marks “the Base of Congress 60”. I want to make it clear—I’m not the kind of person who expects all branches of Congress 60 to celebrate the anniversary of my liberation from addiction during this week. No! I have no such expectation at all. Even today, I reminded Mr. Khodami, Mr. Babak, Amin, and the others to keep things simple and low-key. I don’t want a celebration for the anniversary of my liberation from addiction—absolutely not! As for gifts, I also mentioned that no one should give me anything—only those who have been my pupils, or are currently my direct pupils, like the Didebans (Watchmen), may give me gifts.
People whom I’ve been their guide in Jones’s Legion (Healthy Nutrition Legion), smoking cessation, or drug rehabilitation are allowed by the rules to give me gifts. However, it’s not the case that all members of Congress 60 can give me gifts—legally, they shouldn’t. Sometimes, though, a group will insist on giving me a gift, and to avoid upsetting them, I have to say, “Alright, that’s fine—thank you, just give it and go.”
What I mean is that the Week of the Base of Congress 60 isn’t meant for celebrating the anniversary of my liberation from addiction. Don’t even think that way — it’s not about that. The Base of Congress 60's Day marks the beginning of Congress 60; that was the day it all started.
Over a hundred thousand people have been cured (recovered from addiction) in Congress 60. Bring me just one person who’s recovered (in anywhere other than Congress 60) from heroin or any other drugs and can lie in a room full of drugs without touching them — and I’ll give you a reward if you bring me just one case!
I have a lot of respect for Western science and knowledge, really, but when it comes to curing addiction, they haven’t even reached zero point. Just look around — Oscar-winning actors who were alcoholics couldn’t be cured and ended up suiciding, and many others were lost. Even they could not cure [Diego] Maradona, the football legend, we all know [finally he died of addiction].
It’s not about setting up a luxury rehab center with a hot-water pool, a billiard table, Eastern and Western masseurs giving massages, serving schnitzel, steaks, or fillets. No! Addiction cure doesn’t work that way. The whole nature and approach of addiction cure in Congress 60 is completely different. I truly hope one day the whole world will recognize this—and fortunately, they’re gradually beginning to understand.
So, we should truly appreciate this achievement. In our records, sometimes the number of liberated individuals (from addiction) who have achieved complete cure is around 200 per week sometimes more, sometimes less. Meanwhile in a government-run rehab camp, they might keep three to four hundred people there for about six months. Can you imagine the costs? All their meals, medication, security, bedding, and a warm place to stay. With all those heavy expenses, what is the result after six months? Nothing. Zero. They all go back and start using drugs again.
From there, they need to return again directly for treatment, but here, around 200 individuals achieve complete cure from addiction every week (after completing a 10- to 11- month addiction cure program), definitive cure! People come and go voluntarily—no one is forced to stay—and it doesn’t cost the government a single penny. In fact, we are a genuine NGO working in collaboration with the government and the healthcare system.
As I mentioned, I have great respect for the knowledge of the U.S. and Europe; however, when it comes to addiction, they haven’t even reached the starting point. They believe that addiction is a mysterious, incurable, and progressive disease. An NGO with branches in 156 countries states the same thing. They claim that addiction has no cure, but we are curing addiction. We don’t ask anything from the government. All we need is for them to provide our medicine (opium tincture); beyond that, we don’t require anything else. So, I’ve provided you with some explanations.
I have often emphasized that at Congress 60, we do not focus on “making addicts quit.” To date, nearly 100,000 people have successfully undergone treatment. Even if there were 10 million, it wouldn’t change our approach. I have repeatedly stated that here in Congress 60, we are not curing addiction; we are training masters and guides. Every one or two weeks, we provide Guidance Shawls to approximately 200 people. Just this past Saturday, 200 to 250 individuals received their orange Guidance Shawls, marking their progression as trained guides.
The week before that, 250 to 260 people received their green Guidance Shawls during the sixth ceremony. So far, 600 to 700 male travelers and 600 to 700 female companions have also received orange Guidance Shawls. Think about how many groups within Congress 60 have reached cure. Congress 60 functions like a university or an academy. We train masters (guides); we do not simply “make addicts quit.” After all, how many addicts can you make quit, and what is the real benefit of that? Instead, we are establishing a culture and implementing a proper culture and method and approach to addiction cure, step by step, with the goal of eventually sharing it with the entire world.
Iran has long been a cradle of civilization. At a time when some of today’s advanced countries didn’t even exist and people were living in very primitive conditions, we already had highly accomplished scientists who excelled in medicine, astronomy, and many other fields. This rich heritage forms our foundation, and it continues to this day. People in other countries must never think of Iranians as outdated people or mere camel riders, lacking culture or civilization. On the contrary, we have a vast number of brilliant scientists, and we hope to achieve great things together.
I shared some points with you so you can understand the challenges and milestones we went through to reach this point. In all branches, I ask that members refer to these topics and explain them. Senior members should make a contribution (share their experiences) and explain to newcomers the steps we went through to reach this point. I even scheduled today’s meeting here and requested that it not be announced publicly. Yesterday afternoon, on Tuesday, I said to announce that the meeting will be held in the Simorgh building so that fewer people attend and it doesn’t get too crowded, as I make a strong effort to avoid overcrowding in all meetings. During the Base of Congress 60’s Week, do not decorate [the branches] at all, do not perform live music in any branch, and do not provide meals, fruits, or sweets. Focus only on discussing the Base and foundation of Congress 60: how it started, the steps it went through, and where it is today.
I should also mention that in the early days of Congress 60, at an addiction treatment center called Aftab Society, where I worked for a while, there was a meeting about addiction. Everyone was seated, and an individual with an associate degree in social work was allowed to attend, but I was not allowed. They said my work wasn’t scientific enough. However, from the time we started until now, we have reached a point where at least 50 to 60 major congresses around the world—such as in Mexico, India, the USA, Paris, Spain, the Netherlands, Barcelona, London, the UK, and other countries—invite us to participate, speak, and give lectures. They officially invite us. Now, in the congresses we attend, we do not apply to participate or submit papers ourselves; they invite us specifically to speak.
In the journals where we submit our scientific work, we are often invited to contribute articles. However, at the moment, many journals avoid publishing submissions from Third World countries such as Iran, Iraq, China, and several others. Even when they do accept such articles, they require an extensive verification process due to previous instances of misconduct. This verification can cost between three to five thousand dollars. As a result, publishing our articles—from a country like Iran—can take up to a year, whereas the standard timeline is usually around three months. Nevertheless, in the case of Congress 60’s articles—those submitted by me or by Kharazmi University—the editors and reviewers of these international journals are now making efforts to exempt our work from this verification requirement. They are working toward allowing Congress 60’s articles, as well as my own, to be published without undergoing the usual verification process.
We have come a long way from the time when they would let someone with just an associate’s degree in social work attend addiction-related meetings, but they wouldn’t let me in. Now we’ve reached a point where, for example, Dr. Mousavi Chalak, the head of the National Association of Social Workers, regularly attends our meetings and invites us to take part in their openings and conferences. So we have moved from that point to this one. None of this happened by itself. And none of it was solely my work; it was the effort of all of you—the Didebans (watchmen), my family members, and every single member. We all worked together, and now Congress 60 has developed a strong, positive culture.
We have all learned this: others planted and we’ve enjoyed the fruits of their efforts; now it’s our turn to plant so that others [next generations] can benefit. In other words, since others helped us, now it’s our responsibility to help others. Sometimes, members come to me asking for permission to become a Pahlevan (someone who donates 600000000 Tomans or 5000 dollars), but I tell them that they are not ready yet. They may cry or plead, asking me to give permission, but I say: no, I cannot give it to you yet. First, you need to go and strengthen your financial basis and situation—and that of your family—very strong and solid.” Fortunately, all the Congress 60 members are becoming financially strong and capable, and in this area, we’ve achieved really great results in this area. This is something to be truly grateful for, and we should all thank God. I hope that even if there is a shortage of Opium Tincture (OT), you will not allow even the slightest fear into your hearts. If you move correctly along your path, you will certainly achieve good results. Well, thank you all for listening to my words. Thank you.
Let some of the Didebans speak. Amin, please speak. Give the microphone to Amin.
Mr. Amin: Hello friends. I'm Amin, a traveler. I congratulate everyone on the Anniversary of the Base of Congress 60 Celebration—my father, my family, the Didebans, and all members of Congress 60. Well, initially, in our mindset, this celebration was the anniversary of Mr. Dezhakam's liberation from addiction and we thought we should celebrate that. But with Mr. Dezhakam’s perspective and thinking, it turned into something beyond that — it became the history of Congress 60. And surely, the people of a land who know their history well are much more successful than those who have not studied or do not remember their history and background.
This week marks the Base of Congress 60, which is essentially the anniversary of its birth. It all began in 1996 (1375 in the solar calendar) with the start of Mr. Dezhakam’s journey of addiction cure. That February marked the birth of a new way of thinking and in 1997 (1376), Mr. Dezhakam was liberated from addiction. Two years later, Congress 60 was officially established, setting in a transformative journey. The development of Congress 60 is like a seed that started growing from the soil and gradually turned into a tree, which is now recognized as Congress 60.
To have a product, we first need its seed. Before that time—the beginning of Mr. Dezhakam’s journey— there was no seed for curing addiction at all. Imagine a single grain of wheat: with time and care, it has the potential to feed the entire world. But without that one grain, no matter how much time passes, nothing will ever grow. The base of Congress 60’s Celebration marks the planting of that seed, which over time has grown into the many branches and representatives we see today. We remember the history of Congress 60—the stages it went through, the circumstances, the numerous crises and challenges over these 26 years. The ups and downs have shaped Congress 60 into what it is today. If we look back, the atmosphere of Congress 60 in the past was very different from what it is now.
Many of the Congress 60’s paths are like highways today, but back then they were just rough roads—mountain roads, narrow trails, and difficult passages. It was Mr. Dezhakam who first laid[ established] this road: a path from the world of addiction to the world of ordinary life, almost like a road from hell to heaven. Over time, with the efforts of many people, this road grew wider and wider, and through Mr. Dezhakam’s architecting, vision, design, and guidance, it became a smooth and accessible path—one that continues to open new ways for people to move out of darkness and hardship.
I hope this celebration is meaningful and beneficial for all of us. I would like to express my appreciation to all my colleagues and my family—my mother, my two sisters, and my close relatives, Tooti, Parsana, and Reza—as well as all the Didebans and every member of Congress 60. Thank you very much for listening to my words.
Mr. Hossein Dezhakam: Thank you. I can see that Dr. Hassan Mousavi Chalak (the head of the National Association of Social Workers), whose name we mentioned with appreciation, is now seated here with us and present at the session. Dr. Mousavi, you are very welcome.
Which of the Didebans (watchmen) would like to speak? Majid, please go ahead—briefly, please.
Mr. Majid Salami: Hello friends, I’m Majid, a traveler. I would like to congratulate you on the 28th anniversary of the Base of Congress 60, as well as on your 28th year of recovery—which may not have been just the liberation of a single traveler from addiction, but the beginning of a movement, a new way of thinking, a different worldview, and a scientific and human path for saving lives. I extend my congratulations to you, your respected family, my esteemed colleagues in the Congress of Didebans, and all members of Congress 60.
Mr. Dezhakam, you have taught us not just with your words, but through your actions. You’ve shown us that we must keep moving forward, think deeply, have faith, and be patient until we reach true peace. You’ve reminded us that every human being has value, even when trapped in darkness and despair. You once told me something—I’m sure you’ve shared it with others as well—you said: “If you learn something but don’t put it into practice, it means you haven’t really learned it.” I am deeply grateful for the 25 years I have had as your pupil—for your guidance, your dedication, and for the unwavering support of your family, who have always stood by your side. From the very beginning, I saw that they never left you, facing many challenges, and today they are all here with us. Sir, can I share a funny memory about OT (opium tincture)?
Mr. Hossein Dezhakam: Sure, go ahead.
Mr. Majid Salami: There was a time when OT became really hard to find. As soon as Mr. Dezhakam mentioned it, he did some research and figured out the formula. He shared it with me and some of the guides. Well, opium tincture wasn’t available, and the guides were trying to find some kind of drinkable alcohol to make it. I was working with a pharmacy nearby. You see, the medicinal alcohols you find outside usually have additives that make them really bitter and undrinkable. So I asked the company that supplied alcohol, “Could you please send me a carton of alcohol that has no additives and is drinkable?” They started bringing one or two cartons a week. The guy delivering it was a bit intimidated by me; maybe he was thinking, “What’s this all about? He doesn’t look like a drinker!” Then one day, he finally threw caution to the wind and said, “Mr. Salami, if you want, I even have flavored ones—cherry, apple, banana.” He probably thought I was going to sell them (he laughs). Thank you so much. And once again, congratulations, Mr. Dezhakam. I’m really grateful that you’ve accepted me as your pupil.
Mr. Hossein Dezhakam: Thank you.
The alcohol content in opium tincture is very low, and it is medicinal alcohol. Please don’t add industrial alcohol to it, as that could cause trouble and experience hangover claiming the lights or even the sun seemed to go out or extinguish (Mr. Dezhakam said it with a touch of humor). The key point is that the alcohol content is very low and should remain medicinal.
Now, among the Didebans, let’s have Ahmad speak first, followed by Ms. Annie.
Mr. Ahmad Hakimi: Hello friends, I’m Ahmad, a traveler. I would like to extend my congratulations to you, your respected family, and all the members of Congress 60.
I was thinking: we see the sun every day, but describing it to others is not easy—it might even seem futile. But for those of us who have joined Congress 60 and reached this point with your guidance, what can I say when I look at the “sun”? How can I describe it? It’s warming, life-giving, vitalizing. It fulfills its mission, helping people awaken, be revived, and truly live. It didn’t exist before; but it began from a single point, and today, all of us are living proof of that beginning. We are breathing, alive and have returned to life.
When I listened to what Mr. Dezhakam said, it made me reflect on the past few years. I realized how hard it is for a person to truly change—how challenging it is, with so many ups and downs. It really requires a role model, someone you can look up to and say, “I want to be like him; I want to follow that path.” We should be deeply grateful and thank God that His mercy has blessed each of us with such a model. We can learn from him and strive to reach a point where we can also help others. I am truly thankful to God for granting all of us the opportunity to breathe in this space. I congratulate everyone here. In our hearts, we all know that our inspiration is Mr. Dezhakam. Thank you.
Mr. Hossein Dezhakam: Thank you. Please give the microphone to Ms. Annie for a brief word.
Mrs. Annie: Hello friends, I’m Annie, a traveler.
I want to speak today for the families whose loved ones are struggling with addiction. So many times, spouses [wives] decide to leave, thinking that choosing a different path will make things better, [because they were disappointed to see no signs of recovery in their husband’s addiction]. But most of the time, it doesn’t work for them, they even divorce, but their problems remain. Sadly, families break apart, and people think they’re freeing themselves, when in reality, they don’t feel free at all. I really want families to know this: addiction doesn’t mean you have to walk away. Families are meant to support one another—especially their children. When the wife’s support disappears, the family slowly falls apart. We try to stay beside them on this journey, to help, to support, and to care more deeply, so they can make the sacrifices that are needed. Leaving [your family] may seem like the easier choice, but it’s usually not the better one. In the end, it often causes more pain. Other members of a family can stay together, support each other, and help bring the family member who is struggling with addiction into a safer place, under the care and protection of the family. Walking away [divorce] doesn’t mean the problem is solved. That’s why I chose to stay with my family. I’m truly happy I did, and I’m grateful that I was able to keep my family together. Thank you so much.
Ms. Shani: Hello friends, I’m Shani, a companion.
First of all, I would like to congratulate my father, my mother, and my family on this week, as well as all the members of Congress 60, because we are all one big family. I hope that the grandeur of these great events happening for Congress 60, along with the path we are on, will inspire us to embrace the knowledge of love more deeply every day. God willing, may this love not just stay in our hearts, but spread to the frozen hearts outside of Congress 60—through our actions, our kindness, our generosity, and the compassion we show one another. It doesn’t always have to be about addiction; these days, so many struggles affect families everywhere, leaving hearts cold. As Mrs. Annie, my mom, said, I truly believe this week is “Base Week”—a week to rebuild love and compassion, which is itself a great and precious knowledge. I congratulate you, thank you.
Mr. Hossein Dezhakam: Thank you so much. Reza, please take the microphone and speak very briefly—just a short talk. Let’s not make the session too formal; feel free to share your memories as well.
Mr. Reza Torabkhani: Hello friends, I’m Reza, a traveler.
Mr. Dezhakam, your charisma is so captivating that it completely takes one over—how could anyone possibly share a memory! (laughs) It’s hard enough just to breathe in your presence, let alone tell a story. I would like to warmly congratulate you, as the Base of Congress 60, and your respected family—dear Dr. Amin, Mrs. Annie, and the other esteemed members of your family—on this special week.
While reflecting on the memories you shared, I found myself revisiting my own twenty-five years of involvement in Congress 60—considering how one begins, where they eventually arrive, the mindset they start with, and the perspective they gain, as well as the achievements this journey brings. I thought about what within you allowed this responsibility to be entrusted, and the abilities you acquired along the way. Perhaps every challenge we face in life serves as a guiding light, a sign of hope rooted in the lessons learned alongside you. It is precisely these lessons that strengthen us, helping us continue this path with greater confidence and resilience.
In the early days when Congress 60 had just started, I was the session master in a meeting, and one of the members, who had used a lot of drugs, was sitting next to me as the session guardian and kept dozing off. The attendees in the meeting wrote me a note saying to tell the guard to come down and let another person takes the position of the guardian of the session. I said, “I can’t do that, he is the guardian while I am the master.” All these conversations were happening through letters and notes. At that time, you were at a branch in Mehdizadeh Alley, located on Kargar Jonoubi Street, and there were no phones or mobile phones to quickly call you to come. We had to somehow find a way to get you to come.
You made it to the meeting by the end of the session. Now, I want to talk about dealing with problems and figuring things out, based on what we have learned here over the years. You came and wrote me a note saying: “Reza, tell the attendees that Mahmoud has a family problem and can’t continue leading the session. Ask him to hand it over to me and step down.” In the early days of Congress 60, there were different views about addiction and drugs. Now, we get together, talk about these topics and work through them. What really mattered was showing us how a person’s life, body, mind, and worldview can grow and change. That was your real skill. I hope we can be good pupils alongside you. Thank you very much.
Mr. Hossein Dezhakam: Thanks. The memory Reza mentioned goes back to the early days when we had just started working. In that meeting, the session guardian had gotten so high that his head kept dropping down onto the table… and then popping back up again. Or in another meeting, the session guardian had drunk so much alcohol that he was completely wasted. We had our fair share of crazy stories and adventures. I remember sitting on the stairs at the Academy branch—I even had a stone to sit on—and the members would gather around me, all of them even messier and more chaotic than I was.
I want to tell you a funny. There was a guy everyone called Antonio. Back then, everyone in Congress 60 had a nickname. He had a really rough, scruffy look, so it had been said he looked like Anthony Quinn. That’s how he ended up being called Antonio. We used to sit around together, the guys would gather—there weren’t many of us back then.
All of a sudden, Antonio addressed me and said, “Man, if there were some heroin right now, it would feel amazing.”
I asked him, “You will consume heroin?”
He said, “Yeah.”
I said, “Damn anyone who doesn’t use heroin!”
Back then, whenever the guys had extra heroin or opium, they’d give it to me. I used to put it in my desk drawer—it was full of those little lumps of heroin.
So I said to him, “You really use?”
He said, “Yeah.”
I said, “Alright, come on.”
I grabbed his hand and took him into the same room I’m sitting in right now. I pulled open the drawer, put a few lumps of heroin on the desk, and said, “Go on. Use it. Let me see how you use.” He said, “No, I don’t smoke it. I inject it.”
So I opened the lower drawer—there were syringes and a spoon in there—and I said, “Go ahead. Inject it.”
He looked at it and said, “I take my words back. I was wrong.”(Mr. Dezhakam laughs)
We had adventures, we had stories. It wasn’t like it is now. We used to hold Thanksgiving gatherings where the members would sit together on Thursday nights to eat abgoosht (a traditional Persian stew), get closer to God, and say a prayer. We noticed that here, people would eat abgoosht and then get into Nissan trucks—some called it Lissan—where jugs of alcohol were placed at the back by the park entrance. One by one, they’d get in, have a glass of liquor, and then come back. If I ever got distracted from them, a traveler, who was on the gradual journey of addiction cure (DST method), would be taken to the north of Iran for a trip to suddenly quit drugs, just they were advised to go on a cold turkey. So many stories and adventures had happened, and it always reminds me of one story that you should also remember. You should definitely share these memories too. Maybe some of you now are a bit hesitant to share their memories in front of me. (A balloon pops in the session and everyone laughs.) Please, everyone, give a round of applause.
The senior members should tell these stories and share their adventures, describing past events one by one so everyone can really see what happened. I’ve always said this, and I’ll keep saying it until the end of my life: back in the early days, there were about fifteen to twenty of us — me, Majid, and a few others. I remember once for iftar (the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan) we bought a block of cheese. We wanted to cut it, but not with a knife — we thought a knife was too thick and would crush it [some parts of cheese might be wasted this way]. So I said, “Bring some thread from a spool.” I had made a sort of tiny saw with the thread, and we used it to slice the cheese into thin sheets so everyone could get a piece. We made sure the slices weren’t thick, just thin enough to keep up appearances (laughs). We even didn’t have enough money to buy Ash-e Sholeh Ghalamkar (a traditional Iranian thick soup) for eight to ten people. So, we’ve been through a lot of tough situations like that over time.
Now, we have established branches in the best buildings. During Ramadan, we serve excellent food and provide high-quality iftar. These are all things we have experienced and achieved. We should never forget the story of Malik Ayaz (a slave from Georgia who rose to the rank of officer and general in the army of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni); all members must remember it. Ayaz was a villager, a boy from the countryside—villagers are very honorable and good people—who found his way into the king’s palace. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni liked him very much. Ayaz had a room that he went to every day, stayed in for about an hour, and then came out.
Everyone in the court was jealous of him. One day, they went to Sultan Mahmud and said, “Ayaz is stealing gold and jewels from the treasury and hiding them in his room. He has buried a treasure there.” The Sultan replied, “No, Ayaz is not that kind of person.” But they kept insisting that he was a thief. Finally, the Sultan said, “Let’s go and see this ‘treasure’ you’re talking about.” When they opened the door and entered the room, they found nothing inside except a torn coat and a pair of old shoes. They said, “The treasure must be buried underground.” So they dug up the floor, but found nothing. Then Sultan Mahmud called Ayaz in and asked, “What are you doing here every day?” Ayaz said, “When I first came to the king’s palace, this torn coat was what I wore, and these old shoes were all I had. Every day I come here, put them on, and sit here for about an hour. Then I take them off and leave. I do this so I never forget who I was and where I came from.” The Sultan turned to them and said, “Now you understand your mistake.”
Today, some people in Congress 60 really work day and night. Most of the time, they are on the road, traveling from one city to another and visiting different Congress 60 branches. Sometimes, they cover thousands of kilometers in a single week—by plane, train, taxi, or their own cars. They go from city to city and then come back. These people are from all groups: female travelers, male travelers, and companions. You can find them everywhere, helping out at every level.
Well, they are working hard, and Congress 60 stands on their efforts. Wherever we are, we should remember who we are today. I should never forget how I was on the first day I came to Congress 60. If we keep this in mind, we succeed: we speak to people calmly and respectfully, we don’t think others owe us anything and we see ourselves as always being grateful. I’ve said it many times: I owe everything to Congress 60. Without it, I—or many of us—would have died several years ago. So now that we are, we must truly appreciate it.
Thank you, thank you very much. Thank you, Dr. Hassan Mousavi Chalak, it’s an honor.
He (Dr. Hassan Mousavi Chalak) is one of the prominent professors of social work, serving as the president of the National Social Work Association and also as the deputy of the National Welfare Organization. In any case, we are always touched by his kindness.
Now we are going to give the blue shawls to two of the assistants. The color of the agents’ shawls has also changed—it’s now olive green. But we’re not giving these olive shawls to the current agents, because that would mean handing out around 500 shawls! The new shawls will go to the agents of the next term. We have some expenses at Congress 60 that you wouldn’t believe. For example, yesterday Mr. Majdian came to me. Could you please give the microphone to Ali Majdian? Ali, can you tell us how much we ended up paying for the yellow border guards’ shawls?
Mr. Ali Majdian: Hello friends, I’m Ali, a traveler. Mr. Dezhakam, can I make a contribution (to share memories and experiences) after that too?
Mr. Dezhakam: First, tell us the cost. Don’t change horses in midstream! (Jokingly)
Mr. Ali Majdian: 750 million tomans (about 6000 USD).
Mr. Dezhakam: Hmm, 750 million tomans—that’s just the cost of the fabric. How long will these shawls be enough for?
Mr. Ali Majdian: For about two years.
Mr. Dezhakam: This cost is just for the fabric of the border guard shawls, while we also have guide shawls, agent shawls, and others. So, this is only the cost of the shawls that you wear around your neck. Now, just say a few words—keep it brief please.
Mr. Ali Majdian: Thank you very much, Mr. Dezhakam. My last name ends with “M,” so I’m always at the end of the line.
Mr. Dezhakam: Does Majdian end with “M”?
Mr. Ali Majdian: I’m sorry, I actually meant the beginning of my last name.
Since I’m always at the end of the list, my turn always comes last. The story that Mr. Reza mentioned in his talk—I had decided to share it today a few days ago. That is exactly the contribution I wanted to make. At that time, I was on my journey [of treatment to be liberated from addiction]. I remember that the sentence you said today is exactly what you were saying twenty-five years ago: that if I were supposed to help an addict quit at Congress 60, I would have shut this place down [since Master Dezhakam has repeatedly mentioned we do not make the addicts quit drugs in Congress 60, but we train masters and guides].
Back then, in the early days of my journey, I didn’t understand what you meant. I thought, “So what do they actually do here? I’m a drug user, an addict—I’ve come to quit or get treatment. So what happens here?” Then you explained that this is a place where we train mentors or guides. All my life, I had never sat at the front of a classroom, but that day, for the first time, I decided to sit in the first row, right in front of the session guardian’s desk. From the very start of the session, I noticed the dozing person you mentioned. Later, the poor guardian said he had a cold and wasn’t feeling well, but we all recognized that kind of dozing (caused by drug intoxication). I was in a state of inner conflict; I simply couldn’t believe it. I mean, I saw that person as God—just as it is said that a seeker sees God in their guide. I told myself that it was impossible for this event to have happened. When he said he had a cold, I felt a bit relieved, but at the same time I thought, this doesn’t look like a cold at all. He was nodding off so heavily that every moment I thought his forehead was going to hit the lit candle on the table in front of him. His head kept dropping and then jerking back up. I also remember the moment when, as Mr. Reza said, you came in, took his place, and led the rest of the session.
That night, I couldn’t sleep at all because of worry and distress—call it whatever you like. I felt like all my beliefs just fell apart and got totally shaken. I kept thinking to myself, so if this place isn’t just about quitting addiction and they actually train people to become guides… then why is one of the guides in this kind of situation? That guardian was a guide too.
Back then, we didn’t have any border guards, so the session guardian was responsible for everything—from cleaning to all the tasks that the border guards take care of now—from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Seeing the guardian in that condition, I thought maybe someone like me would’ve just left and never returned to Congress 60.
I’m saying this to show that even after twenty-five years, Mr. Dezhakam is still doing the same role. Whenever something new comes into the Congress 60’s system—like weight management—he personally gets involved and supervises everything directly. At first, he might not give much responsibility to others until the process is set and the “train” is running smoothly. Then, little by little, he steps back and oversees from a distance, so we can all learn how to handle things ourselves. He’s very kind and always says, “We’ve done these things together.” During Dideban’s Week, he said, “The Didebans have always been there to help me,” but from my point of view, I would say that for twenty-five years, Mr. Dezhakam has been helping us—and he still does. Since we work with him directly, sometimes even today my perspective on some issues might be completely wrong, but with his skillful teaching and deep knowledge, he completely changes how I see things.
Mr. Dezhakam, I’d like to congratulate you on this week, and also your respected family, who not only put up with your absence at home but have always supported you by serving alongside you in Congress 60.
Mr. Dezhakam: Thank you, thank you. Amin, please come up here with your pupil, Mr. Ebrahim. First, we will make the pledges, and then the Isfahan Music Group should be ready to perform. We really appreciate that the Isfahan Music Group took the time to come and join this celebration.
Isfahan Music Group, please come forward. Please give them a warm round of applause!
You have 20 minutes to perform your program. I might add three or four extra minutes if needed.
Thank you so much. Give a big cheer for them.
The session time is over. There are candles on the cake—shall we light them? I’ll light the candles quickly.
Thank you. I said only my direct pupils can give me gifts. Thank you so much, everyone in the music group, for your gifts. Actually, I should be giving you a gift for your performance. But it seems that in Congress 60, everyone who does a service or contributes also gives a gift! (Jokingly).Thank you again.
Amin, come here. Mrs. Annie, please come up on stage, and Shani—where is Shani? Mrs. Annie, please come up on stage. Please light the candles. On behalf of all of you, we’re cutting the cake.
Babak will take the cake (to share it among everyone).

Translated by companion Sepideh, Legion 22, Sheikhbahaei branch of Congress 60, Isfahan, Iran

At the end of the celebration of the 28th anniversary of Mr. Hossein Dezhakam’s liberation from addiction, he declared the session closed and the cake was shared among all the individuals present at the ceremony. Happy this day to all the people around the world; though now they may not know what Congress 60 is doing in the realm of science, they will be aware of amazing revolutionary landmarks in the Medical Sciences in the near future.

Revised and edited by Elahe

File received date: 05/12/2025 (1404/09/14)
Submission date: 16/12/2025 (1404/09/25)