Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Golshani

Preparations to transform grief to joy

Interview: Mehdi Khanbanpour
Translated by Natalie Haghverdian

2016-5-8

Mohammad Reza Golshani, on the onset of Iraq imposed war against Iran was volunteer soldier in brigade 3 of division 81 in Abuzar military base in Sar-e Pol-e Zahab region and member of 142 infantry battalion; is now a veteran of Sepah Pasdaran and cultural, art active member and a photographer; he is also cooperating with Payam Azadegan Institute and deployment of applicants for pilgrimage. We will read his memoirs of the Holy Defense and his years of captivity in Iraqi Besat Camp.

Spent 9 Nowruz[1] in Captivity

I’m Mohammad Reza Golshani, also known as Hussein.        October 4, 1980 I was taken captive in Zahab and Kureh Mush plain and was released in August 20, 1990. In March 1980 I was fighting in the fronts with Iraq; Iraq was equipping the invaders with artillery and mines; they attacked with artillery and helicopters and fighter. We had a lot of conflicts in Naft Shahr, but Iraqi infantry and armored forces of 22 September 1980 officially invaded Iranian territory, which is namely the occupation date, not the date of warfare. The war started in 1979 but they kept it quiet to avoid panic. In general, I spent one new year in Tehran and fronts and 9 others in captivity.

During the first years, New Year was meaningless. Everyone was depressed. They would collect barbed wire and stones and needles to set Haft Sin[2] of captivity.

Pure Camp!

I was in Ramadi for one or two months, and then along with other 200 captives we were transferred to Mosul. I spent a year and a half there until Mosul 4 was established. In case of opposition in the camp or anyone causing problem, he would be identified as saboteur, separated and transferred to Mosul 4. Iraqis would call it saboteurs’ camp but it was a clean and pure camp. We had no spies. Of course we had one amongst us but nobody cared. We stopped him once or twice from passing news. Once Red Cross came to the camp he begged them to transfer him. He was transferred and those left were united, religious and revolutionary. We were the first group transferred to the camp. There was an interpreter called Karim Neysi from Khuzestan; he lives in Ahwaz now. He had heard about us and visited us and said: they are planning to kill us here. There was an up-raise in Mosul and they fired at us. We left two martyrs behind. Later, Haj[3] Abutorabi was transferred there. He was savoir. He was an actual diver. He was the second Chamran of Iran. He established cultural groups upon arrival. It was during 83 and 84.

Stenographer

It’s interesting. We had news group. We had a radio in the camp which was a secret. We had a stenographer who was unknown. His name is Mohsen Masoum Shahi. We would collect cement paper bags and other papers and he would lie down under blanket with no light and write the news. The news would be gathered and then told at night in the camp. Once this group was settled other groups including theater shows, vocal, hymn were established. We started the first hymn group and yet in Iran it started a year later. During victory of the revolution celebrations we had programs. All the hymn songs would be translated into different languages. We also had programs for Ramadan.

Tin Pans

During Nowruz we had to do the preparations. We even baked cakes and pastry. There was a guy named Yadollah Rohani from Hamedan who owned one of the best pastries in his hometown. We had to make an oven to bake cakes. We used to collect the tin cans of oil and making baking trays proper for the Alaeddin[4]. We used to try Samun bread and grind it to make flour for bakery. There was a shop later set up in the camp and we would ask the shop to provide flour for cookies of New Year.

We had theater shows, performances and martial arts. We even had sports groups demonstrating special programs. We had indoors and outdoors programs. We had sports matches including Ping-Pong, football, volleyball, and basketball. Haj Abutorabi was the best in Ping Pong. There was another guy from Mashhad called Sadegh. He was a gifted player. He lost against the backhands of Haj Abutorabi. Haj Abutorabi used to keep the game simple while playing with amateurs.

Rat Escape!

Once we came to Mosul 4, Iraqi’s were looking for our programs and sports. There were no fights in our camp while in other camps there were always fights between the soldiers and the counter-revolutionary captives and other groups. They used to close the doors around 4 in the afternoon but on Nowruz, Haj Torabi would lobby and they would open the doors till midnight so that we could have our program. We had different football teams. The big guys; the small guys; they young; the old. Haj Abutorabi was the captain of the old guys’ team. We decided to joke with the big guys and catch a rat and when the big guys decide to score a goal we release the rat. Then it seemed like there was no rat left in the camp. Eventually we found a ferret among the vegetable cargo which came in to the camp. There was Dr. Reza injected an anesthetic so that we can keep it in a box. I used to make a camera with a paper box pretending that I was filming the match game. Once the big guys wanted to score a goal we released the ferret. Then everybody forgot about the game and started chasing the ferret.

“Reliance” & the Old Man

We had Nowruz visits. We would visit other asylums and they would host us with sweet water. When we wanted to joke with someone, we would offer sweet water while there was a lot of salt in it. Qadir Eid was the best. Haj Abutorabi would instruct those who were Seyyed to put on white shirts and navy blue trousers. I have a distinct memory of one Nowruz when the Red Cross crew was there. They asked permission from Baghdad to spend the New Year’s Eve with us. I believe it was 89 or 90. The Red Cross used to visit all war camps. They claimed that Iranian captives are different. Even Iraqi captives are not like Iranians. Mosul 4 is different. When we are here it seems like we are in Iran. We don’t feel like it is a camp. The empathy, brotherhood and joy among them is very interesting.

 We used to get together which had impressed the Red Cross. We all had our grieves. I wasn’t married but my parents were alive. My father was sick. I got back four years after my mother had passed. We were trying to hide our grief and keep one another happy. We had a theater show called “Reliance”. It was 8 years after war. There was a guy called Hassan Mohammadi from Anzali. He was very active in comedies, directing theaters and playing. He was director of Reliance. He gathered the theater group; over one hundred and brought chickpea and raisin. Everybody wanted it but he said that there is a story behind it. He said that after the show a guy speaking Turkish came to me and said: I haven’t laughed for a very long time but your show made me laugh. I collected my allowance and asked the shopkeeper to provide chickpea and raisins. Everybody was so upset. I remembered the story of the old woman in Hamedan who would come to Nujeh military base with boiled eggs and would say: I have no children to send to fight; nor I have money. I want to have my share in the war. We had comedy programs inside and long programs for which we would stay in camp outdoors till midnight. No other camp was like ours.

There was an incident in Mosul one in 1981. The first time that we were left to our own, two captives ran away by the help of one Iraqi citizen. They collected us all and never left us free again. They would chain patients to the bed. We used to fast during Ramadan and they had separated us. When Haj Abutorabi came they released us. We decided to run but he stopped us and said: there are 1200 captives here. Even if 1000 of us make out, the other 200 will pay the price which is not right. We have to serve our captivity securing the interest of everyone.