Seyyed of Quarters 15 (21)

Memories of Iranian Released POW, Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan

2017-3-6

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

Smoker prisoners could neglect whatever but the cigarettes. Iraqis gave ‘Winston’ cigarettes to the prisoners. Tobacco and cigarette papers were separated. With greed, the smokers wrapped tobacco with papers and then wetted the end of paper with their tongue to stick together. Fifty or sixty people fired their cigarettes at once and the quarters filled with smoke, as if tear gas had been released. Sometimes the situation was so bad that you should wave your hands to remove the smoke and see the other side. The soldiers smoked Baghdad cigarettes and the officers smoked Sumer ones. Sometimes one of the soldiers found a single Sumer cigarette somehow and smoked it with proud and snobbery in front of other soldiers. The price of long filter Sumer cigarettes was 350 Fils and if we saw one of them in a soldier’s hand, said he is rich. A pack of Baghdad cigarettes was 230 Fils.

The Iraqis did not give cigarettes for a while and during this period the cigarettes of some smokers run out and they became hangover. Some wrapped dried residue of tea in a paper or cardboard and smoked. Those who had still some cigarettes, found out that they should half-smoke them and to be thoughtful about rainy days. Four of five of heavy smokers gave a meal or their bread to those who had some saved cigarettes, and took a single one.

When the Iraqis gave us Fils for the first time, I asked a soldier to buy toothpaste and a toothbrush for me. Fils were papers on each which their value in dinar had been written. And since then we were able to list our necessities and give it to one of the soldiers to buy them from the camp shop. That day the prisoners prepared a list very soon. The smokers demanded cigarettes. Also a few ones wanted dates, wafers and biscuits.

We didn’t have bathroom and the condition of quarters was awful. We all had become infested with lice. Unbeknown to others and embarrassing, prisoners killed the lice earlier, but gradually it became public. After we were counted and the door was closed at nights, we took off our clothes and killed the lice. If we found water, we would wash our clothes in the meal container. We killed the lice with our hand and eat our meal with the same too, so we fell sick. The number of lice not only didn’t decrease, but also they had increased and we saw them in our whole body. In addition to these problems, being under pressure and being punished by Iraqis increased day by day. Many prisoners thought that we will stay there for the rest of our life and didn’t come back home because the Red Cross had not yet visit there. With this thought, a few numbers who had weaknesses in terms of faith and belief became the informer of Iraqis. Therefore, Iraqis attracted them with three more meals or more cigarettes. Many people also were not deceived by Iraqis and did not cooperate with them. Most prisoners said that if their captivity lasted until the end of their life, they never betrayed their fellow warriors and country.

Little by little, a television also was brought to our quarters. Iraqis had given a TV to camp-15 which was handed over in turn between the quarters according to the plan. Sometimes, they brought a video player, gathered all prisoners of three quarters, screened a film, and we all had to stare at the television screen. After one or two times of screening film, we explained for prisoners that the Iraqis want to promote irreligiousness and licentiousness among the captives and we must stop it. Once the dancing show of Jamileh was showed, I reviewed and whispered some prayers to write them with the carbon of battery on a paper. One of the Iraqi soldiers, whose lips had been stitched and talked in funny way, had stood behind the window of quarters and peeped inside. One of the prisoners asked the guardian: "Sir! Is it possible to show Rocky and Arnold movies instead of these ones?"

The guardian answered frowning, "eight-year war was not enough? You want us to show war movies too?"

When the guardian saw that I do not watch the dance show knocked the bars of window and pointed me to watch it. I said, "Sir, it’s forbidden."

He shook his head and said, "You are out of your sense."

Iraqi television broadcasted Persian programs about half an hour every day in which the trail of hypocrites can easily be seen. Most of prisoner looked down when dance shows or videos in which naked actresses took a role, were screened. The informer gradually reported the guardians. When Iraqis found out that they have failed, came to us and before showing a movie, took me, Karami, Mahdi Palang, Heidari, Azizi, and a few others, to whom they doubted, to an empty quarters and with cables and batons beat us up. But we still did not relent and kept informing the prisoners about the nature of Iraqis’ propaganda. Next time, they forced all of us to strip down to our underwear and sat us down under the hot sun. The guardians came next to us. With a cable in their hand, they turned around us and then went to sit in the shade. In front of our eyes, they drank water and have fun and as soon as saw the slightest shaking, screamed: "Hey fool! Don’t move."

My head had warmed up so hot through the heat of the sun. The others weren’t in better state too. My eyes fell on one of the guardians. His mouth moved. I thought he ate fruit. Suddenly I had a strong desire for eating a slice of red and sweet watermelon. This thought had driven me crazy. I remembered the days when my father and his partner leased orchards. The workers got busy picking watermelons and arranged boxes of grapes, apples and pears. I imagined the shape, smell and taste of fruits, but everything vanished as my eyes fell on the guardian’s boot.

The sun was making me as a burnt and shriveled, so that I felt my skin has dried. I had sat down under the sun so long time that my skin had been dried and was peeling. I could not stand straight. A whole week I walked crouched. In quarters, my friends separated tiny fats of meat which was in our meal and rubbed it on my back. They kept doing it for a few days until my skin recovered.

Sometimes, prisoners had a joke with each other and said: "the meat these Iraqis gave us to eat belongs to twenty years ago."

One of the prisoners showed his old blanket and said, "Maybe it belongs to world war II too!"

When we were outdoors to take in fresh air, Seyyed Mojtaba Jasemi said that Tehrani draftee, Alireza, who had been affected bloody diarrhea, died in front Iraqis’ eyes because of their neglect.

Sometimes, Adel Varqaee was taken to the clinic to repair florescent lamps, air-cooler, television, and he brought pills and serums for other prisoners clandestine. The chief of clinic was thin and had blue eyes. Once Adel Varqaee had hidden the pills and serums under his shirt, the chief of clinic saw him and asked, "Do you take pills?"

Adel told he hadn’t lied and the chief had allowed him to bring the pills and serums for prisoners. Every now and then the prisoners made a fake swear to escape punishment. The soldiers beat him up and asked why he makes a fake swear to Hazrat Abbas (AS)? If you didn’t do it, maybe they weren’t hard with you. Some Shiite soldiers became upset when called prisoners and received ‘Yes, Sir’ answers, and said, "Ask forgiveness of God. ‘Yes, Sir’ suits just Imam Hussein (AS)."

To be continued….