In Iran, students, members of Basij militia and interested people are routinely taken to the former battle sites of the Iran–Iraq War as the war is considered by the Iranian ruling regime a "holy defense" and an ideological pillar to the existence of the ruling Islamic Republic. The trips are organized by Basij, an offshoot of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which enlists the travelers normally in mosques, schools or universities. The trips, which are officially called "Tours for the Travelers of Light" (in Persian: اردوهای راهیان نور) are low-cost and are taken by bus, under poor safety conditions. Since 2008, the buses taking the "tourists" have caused death to over 75 travelers in about seven trips. in 2013, the then Education Minister Hajibabayi proposed that those killed in these tours be granted the degree of martyr.