Seyyed of Quarters 15 (30)

Memories of Iranian Released POW, Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan

2017-5-22

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

Sunday May 07, 1989 coincided with the Eid al-Fitr. We thought Iraqis celebrated, but it seemed they were upset. That day we did not understand what had happened, but their faces showed something has happened.

The Quran which had been given us by Iraqi officer, polished our mind. I was happy to able to fast all Ramadan month and to read the Quran.

Iraqis distributed their own Arabic and English newspapers between quarters once in a while. The prisoners who knew Arabic and English, translated news and articles and transferred them to the others. Akbar Karami knew English and told the required news when prisoners went outdoors to take in fresh air. On Monday, May 8^th, news spread in the camp, "Adnan Khairallah has been killed." Adnan Khairallah, Saddam's cousin and brother-in-law, was defense minister and deputy supreme commander of Iraqi armed forces. There were a lot of news about Adnan Khairallah on the papers and knew him as a great man. Given to the guardians’ grief and the news in papers, I guessed Iraqis liked him. It has been written in newspapers Adnan Khairallah had been killed in a helicopter crash. Iraqi television showed Saddam during the funeral. After burial, it showed several images of Saddam in which he was stroking Adnan’s children. It was like a public mourning was announced.

A few days after Eid al-Fitr, we all were gathered in the ground. With cables and batons in their hands, several soldiers had stood around and watched us. One of the officers came and ordered us to insult Imam. When the pressures of Iraqis and sorrows were unbearable, we told each other that we’ll go to visit Imam and pour out our heart when be liberated. "If you don’t do it, I'll punish all of you." The Iraqi officer said.

We could endure the hardest and the worst tortures, but couldn’t let them to insult Imam. Sometimes, when they were mad with us, said: "why do you like this old man?!"

Iraqi officer’s threats didn’t work. He pulled out one of the prisoners from the queue and said: "say ‘down with Khomeini’."

That day we did not say anything. We were punished and went quarters, but from the next day on, when the prisoners did not tell it, he pointed the soldiers and they hit our head and face with their batons. Avoiding punishment, we decided to say ‘Khomeini is a brave man!’,[1] instead. Iraqi officer’s eyes sparkled as heard it. He looked at soldiers’ faces with pride and was so happy that did not know what to do. Each prisoner stood in front of officer and shouted ‘Khomeini is a brave man!’ very rapidly and passed. Some prisoners said, ‘well done to Khomeini’.[2] They said it so fast that Iraqis did not recognize what they say. We deceived them a few days, until they found out through their spies that the meaning of what they wanted and the thing we said differed completely. Again, they came and clobbered us.

It was June 3^rd, 1989. We were walking in the ground when heard the whistle. The time of walking and taking in fresh air had not finished, so hearing the whistle at that hour of the day was strange to us. Hearing the whistle, several soldiers came into the ground. "Surely, they want to punish all of us again!" I said to myself.

Anxious and hasty, the soldiers came toward and told us to go inside the quarters. I didn’t know what the matter is. We asked each other ‘what’s up?’ We were waiting to see what they wanted to do. One of the Iraqi officers was exactly like Shimr. He was one of Baathists who hadn’t any compassion. Most of the time he ordered to punish all of us, and stood by with hands on waist and watched. For him, there was no difference between a sick or an injured or a healthy one. We should all be punished when he gave soldiers a hint. When the doors of quarters were closed, the officer move ahead behind the window and said, "Khomeini died."

I felt dizzy. I could not stand up. I sat down and tears flowed from my eyes. Tears rolled down from the eyes of all prisoners and the silence of quarters was broken by mournful lamentation. The next day, we found out that Imam was sick for a while. During this period, we had not seen any related news on TV and were unaware. Although we had no right to mourn, but unbeknown to Iraqis we spoke about Imam’s qualities and memories and kept remembering him.

While crying, one of the prisoners said: "We wanted to put our heads on his knee when returned and share our sorrows with him. Now what should we do when Imam has gone?"

We did not know the answer and the only sound which was heard from the quarters was sobbing. Three or four days later, we heard a meeting was held by The Assembly of Experts and Ayatollah Khamenei has been chosen for leading. This news alleviated prisoner’s griefs a bit. "Thank God." one of the prisoners said, "Ayatollah Khamenei is descendant of Hazrat Zahra and he is Imam’s student. Reaching Iran, we can share our sorrows with him."

Two guardians entered the quarters. Afshin Davari, who was from Kermanshah, was reciting the Quran. The guardians stood in front of him and one of them ordered, "Get up."

Davari closed and kissed the Quran. Then, he stood up and said: "What do you want?"

The interpreter translated guardian’s words: "They say do you know your leader has died?"

Davari answered: "I know."

The guardians asked: "What did you do for him?"

"I want to recite the whole Quran for him." Davari showed the Quran and replied, "If you open your eyes wide, you can see all prisoners are waiting for doing it in turn. I wish I had a thousand Quran instead of one."

The guardians who had received a riposte, wandered in the quarters and then went out.

To be continued…