The 351st Night of Memory -2

Compiled by: Leila Rostami
Translated: Fazel Shirzad

2024-5-22

Note: The 351st Night of Memory was held on 4th October 26 of 2023 in Sooreh Hall of the Art Centre of the Islamic Revolution. The narrators of the night, Brigadier General Ali Asghar Keshavarz, Nasser Sharifian and Mr. Navidi recounted their memoirs about martyr Abbas Rostami who was a wrestler and the person in charge of the camp of Iraqi captives. Also, the book "My brother is still present" authored by Miss Mansoureh Qanadian was unveiled. The book deals with the memoirs of the life of martyr Abbas Rostami. The show was hosted by Davood Salehi.

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The second narrator was Dr. Nasser Sharifian, born in August 2023 in Khuzestan. He has a doctorate in criminal law from Tehran University and has been living in Tehran for more than 50 years. He completed the training course in the current barracks of martyr Sattari. He was also one of the first war reporters.

At the beginning of his speech, the narrator said: In 1981, something happened when I became a soldier of the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I was trained in different training battalions. Some of us were from the south and were at war; We didn't even need to go to the army. If we wanted, we would be exempted; but we wanted to serve in the army. We were hanging out with friends when I said to Dr. Bijanzadeh: "My dear brother! Masha... you are a very good reader. Let's gather the children, you in front carrying the Koran banner and we behind you." This first move towards the Mosque of Barracks No. 3 in South Mehrabad, which is now called Sattari University, led to the formation of Qur'an meetings at night. Seyed Mehdi Haerizadeh was also a cleric who moved ahead and had a beautiful voice. By singing epic hymns, other battalions slowly joined us and the fountain turned into a sea.

Time was divided. Everyone's place was determined based on his shooting score. Friends who have gone to the army know that they would get certain grades, they would have the right to go wherever they wanted. I, Dr. Bijanzadeh and others are originally from the south. Even though I was a resident of Tehran, I wanted to go to the fourth Dezful hunting base. At Camp No. 10, there was barbed wire. We sat in line. Two or three people came in at once. They had a list. A strong commander with clean-shaven face, who still showed the discipline and behavior of the Shah's era and was very determined in the responsibility entrusted to him by the Islamic Republic system, pulled him out from among all these people and said: "This list! He should not choose anywhere and should stay for camp (number 10) of Iraqi prisoners." Political ideology did not choose us. The selection criterion was our reliability. To at least have the belief that when we take our weapons and patrol around these fences and barbed wire of the POW camp, lest something happens to the POWs or we don't help to free the POWs. Days passed, but unfortunately some behaviors were not to my liking. I came and gave a plan to Captain Bahramian. I said: "Do you want to do something so that the prisoners do not escape from here at all and nothing happens?!" He accepted the plan, which was very brief. Let it be said that the beginning of it led to the imprisonment of me and martyr Saeed Aliani.

The narrator continued his words and said: They wanted to make us happy. Ayatollah Khamenei was the president at that time. They said that they have invited you to the breaking fast [Iftar] ceremony. I said: "If you invite all my friends, we will come; If not, I am not a servant either." They said: "Then clean it yourself and give the names of the people." martyr Abbas Rostami was among the people who were selected. Martyr Abbas Rostami was our bulldozer with Mehresh. He went into the hearts of Iraqi prisoners with wrestling, with that sport that was in his mind, with those tools and sports equipment. He received the message of Imam Khomeini (PBUH). Our Imam used to say: "Iraqi prisoners are guests of the Islamic Republic." And martyr Abbas Rostami taught us the custom of hospitality. He started wrestling, tennis, ping pong and football. In the history of world armies, when you see that Hitler's army wants to compete with prisoners, Hitler's army should win, but Abbas made them take prisoners.

To be continued….