Thirsty Sands (Part 24)

… water was cut off most of the time, that wells and sewers were not drained off, that free hours were lessened, that each day we were forced to stand still for hours, that we should watch films that we did not like to, that every night a number of POWs were taken out of the camp and beaten to death in front of the commander and his deputies, that food was ...

Thirsty Sands (Part 23)

From the movement of his eyes and slow movement of his body and manner of speaking it was clear that he had drunk too much. The drunk major called the guard in charge of our Oate and said, “Tell me of their crimes”, the sergeant immediately took out a piece of paper and reading out names aloud said they acted contrary to the regulation of the Iraqi Army. The commander said “Anyone ...

Thirsty Sands (Part 22)

When the brutalities of the Iraqi regime reached its climax and when our endurance and resistance was at its lowest and about to break, only one shelter and support remained and that was remembrance of God. In those conditions the Quranic verse: ...was absorbed by the hearts in all senses. Since the time when one of the boys was taken out of the camp, the whole prisoners in the hall stood in prayer and supplication.

Thirsty Sands (Part 21)

Following these pressures exerted by Iraqi in order to impress the POWs mentally, they started broadcasting programs over the loudspeakers interminably for 16 to 18 hours a day. Most of the programs were vulgar music. The loudspeakers were turned on at 6 in the morning, and after a pause of one hour were again started at l or 2 p.m. At sunset they were turned off for half an hour, and then again turned on.

Thirsty Sands (Part 20)

The pressure we were sustaining here had no value as compared with the sacrifices of the Muslim combatants. We should pray to God to make them victorious and to accept our meager services with His grace. “This was the wish and call heard from the depth of the existence of individual POWs. It was 6 p.m. and we were performing our evening prayer. Some were in prostration and other busy reading prayers Ta’aghibat.

Thirsty Sands (Part 19)

From the 10th of Bahman onward the behavior of the guards changed little by little and the enmity hidden in their hearts came into the open in their words and deeds. There was no longer any sign of their so-called free discussions. And those who had been deceived by this superficial mild behavior were harassed. Among those subjected to harassment was one of my friends whom the Iraqis summoned and asked to give ...

Thirsty Sands (Part 18)

The next morning when our representative - who was an Arabic-speaking brother from the south of our country - went to the sergeant in change of the Oate and asked him to take him to the camp commander to talk “bout the current situation and to convey the viewpoints of the boys to him. The Iraqi officer rejected this proposal and asked our representative not to intervene. To convince him the ...

Thirsty Sands (Part 17)

The boys now realized that the good behavior of the Iraqis was not without reason. By providing those preparations, they wanted to take advantage of the POWs in their propaganda on such a day. The hapless Iraqi commander without having thought in this regard and without wasting time ordered the guards to send out the POWs from the halls and bring them to the yard. The boys having been informed of the news ...

Thirsty Sands (Part 16)

Little by little we got accustomed to the camp atmosphere and with each crossing day we learnt new lessons. The operation Val-Fajr 4 which was held in Aban 1362, was as usual an occasion of happiness among our boys. They were so hilarious. News in the Iraqi newspapers was very brief and general. This was a customary Iraqi practice. When an operation was launched they contended with generalization and only announced that they defeated the Iranian attacks.

Thirsty Sands (Part 15)

However, all the boys cars were filled with such remarks and always said: “If Iraqis sympathized with us, they should have pitied us when we had been knocked out under the stroke of their whips, and not here.” Anyhow, the ruses employed by the Iraqis against the POWs were met with our suitable responses. I the camp, our friends conducted these group victuals inside the halls. These programs were carried out in ...