Seyyed of Quarters 15 (26)

Memories of Iranian Released POW, Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan

2017-4-22

Seyyed of Quarters 15

Memories of Iranian Released POW, Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan

Edited and Compiled by: Sassan Nateq

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2016 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

One of those nights, I had a dream about Adel. I didn’t remember the whole dream when woke up in the morning. I saw Adel has stood next to the bathroom when was walking in the ground at the time of taking in fresh air. Iraqi soldier, Abujasm, went toward him and they began speaking with each other. It was like Abujasm wanted to go to the bathroom. Seyyed Mohammad Abujasm was one of the soldiers who named Adel ‘snail’ and ‘lizard’, and tormented him and a large number of prisoners. Abujasm was cheerful, and sometimes came to prisoners told them: "Saddam is a good man and sent bread for you." Seyyed Fakhruddin was another Iraqi soldier, who threw bread toward us. He thought of us as a dog and like throwing a bone for a dog, he threw breads toward us.

Abujasm stepped into bathroom. I suddenly remembered my dream. I went toward Adel and saw he was playing with the electrical cord. The bare end of cord should be pulled out of water tank when water heated up; unless we were electrocuted by pouring water over our heads. I called Adel and asked, "What are you going to do?"

He, who was mad at Abujasm, said: "I’m really tired of his torments. I'm gonna kill him, so all prisoners are get rid of him."

I dissuaded him and told that I had a dream about him last night.

A few days later, Iraqis suddenly began to show some acts of generosity and distributed pomegranate in all quarters; four pomegranates per ten heads. They were small and weren’t juicy, but were better than nothing. The head of our group, Ebadollah Bahoosh, divided the pomegranates into several pieces and we have our share. Like most of prisoners, I also ate its seeds one by one because I didn’t want to finish it soon. Some of the prisoners said that the peel of pomegranate has special quality and is good for diarrhea. Therefore, we dried the peels and ate them. Iraqis were surprised when saw there was no pomegranate peel inside the quarters. They chatted with each other and laughed.

Seyyed Mohammad Abujasm looked for Adel. He said the fan has broken down and ordered Adel to go with him and fix it. Adel went and it did not take long to return. It was like Abujasm had understood that Adel wanted to kill him that day. He took Adel to his room and had said, "The fan hasn’t broken down, but apparently your brain isn’t working."

He had charged his weapons with one bullet and said: "If I give you this, do you fire me?"

Adel said, "I told him ‘yeah, I’ll do it.’ Abujasm became angry, kicked and slapped my face and said, ‘get lost. Go!’"

The next day, they gave prisoners a pair of slippers, a sheet, a pair yellow pants, and a yellow tunic on the back of which ‘W.P’[1] letters were written. Wearing them, we were now somewhat alike each other.

The prisoners gradually thought to make rosary for themselves with date palm seeds. They rubbed seeds so much that all of them became the same size. Then, they made a hole in their two ends, threaded all of them, and make beautiful rosaries. Sometimes, the Iraqi guardians were interested in prisoners’ rosaries and handmade. They rarely gave something in exchange of taking them; but sometimes, when they enjoyed themselves, took prisoners’ rosaries and handmade and in exchange gave cigarettes or something else.

By passing time, some of prisoners thought of making walking-stick with woods which were founded here and there. Some of them progressed so far that they became skillful carpenter. With investing much time and effort, they could carve floral motif on wood and making beautiful walking-sticks. As soon as Iraqis’ eyes fell on the walking-sticks, came and took them. It was forbidden the prisoners kept wood, but Iraqis officers and guardians gave wood to the prisoners and asked them to make walking-sticks, unbeknown to senior officers of camp.

***

Solitary confinement of Iraqis was one meter to one meter. The height was short and standing could not be possible. There was a small hole on the door which made breathing possible. The guardians used the solitary confinement for punishing prisoners. Sometimes, they stripped a prisoner and put him into solitary confinement. Coming out of it after forty-eight hours, the prisoner was like a crumpled paper and it took a few hours to straighten up of pain.

One of prisoners was sick and it seemed he has lost his conscience. He didn’t respect Iraqis and swore them. Iraqis came to the quarters to take him to the solitary confinement. I got up swiftly and said, "Excuse him Sir, he’s sick. He’s lost his conscience and doesn’t know what he’s saying."

The guardian said: "so… it’s for this reason he doesn’t listen to us a few days?"

The prisoner again cursed them. They grasped his hands to take him. I said, "Sir! Don’t listen to him, he’s out of his senses."

Ebadollah Bahoosh and two other prisoners confirmed me. One of the guardians said, "Then we will send him to another quarters."

Bahoosh said, "Nobody knows this poor guy there and he’ll be harassed. He doesn’t you harm, let him to stay here."

The guardians changed his mind and didn’t take him; but after a few days, they brought him with bloody head and face and imprisoned him into solitary confinement. It seemed he has lost his reason and could not help his speech and behavior. Iraqis thought that he’s trying to fool them. One night, when I was performing prayer, heard a noise from outside of quarters. I guessed something has happened for that prisoner. One of the guardians knocked slowly the bars of window and said angrily: "Sleep, sleep."

I lay down fast. The next day, when I saw the empty solitary confinement, realized that the last night noise was for that prisoner and it’s likely he has died a martyrdom. Two days later, one of the guardians, who wasn’t so strict, said that prisoner was taken to the hospital, but he died when arrived there.

A few number of soldiers of camp didn’t treat prisoners harshly, but for fear of Baathists and being exiled to hard places, they were gradually resembled to the rest. The camp was a comfortable place for them, therefore, they obeyed their commanders’ orders unquestionable. A few of them, who had heard from here and there we answer religious questions of prisoners, came to us and questioned about prayer and recommended and necessary religious duties. We answered them, if we understood they have no bad intentions.

To be continued…