Mourning in Captivity

Narrated by: Seyyed Ahmad Rasouli

Compiled by: Fariba Almasi
Translated by: Fazel Shirzad

2024-7-25

The uproar of love for Imam Hussain (PBUH)

Mourning in captivity was prohibited according to the laws of the Iraqi Baath party. Every year during the days of [months] Muharram and Safar, especially on the day of Tasua, Ashura and the twenty-eighth of Safar, the captives secretly mourned and beat their chests.

From time to time it was seen that the Iraqi soldiers also noticed this issue; but they did not show much importance and sensitivity, and sometimes Iraqi Shia soldiers were also seen sitting in the corners of the camp, crying, and it was even clear that the rest of the Iraqi soldiers were also affected.

From the year 1984 onwards, every year, on the morning of Ashura, the video of the death of Abdul Zahra, who was one of the Shia remembrances from Iraq and had a soulful and sad voice, was played. He was later executed by the Baath government. When that tape was played from the headquarters, not a single sound was heard from all over the camp, and everyone in the sanatorium, in the garden, under the blanket, in the hospital, in Salmani, in the kitchen, etc. with a world of sorrow and mourning. Significantly, he cried while sitting or standing.

On the Ashura night of the year 1987, the comrades recited the Ashura pilgrimage of Imam Hussain (PBUH) individually or in small groups in a way that would not attract attention. In the morning of Ashura, after the prayer, a number of other children recited the Ziyarat [prayer]  of Ashura, and no one had slept. Absolute silence reigned throughout the asylum.

The comrades were preparing themselves for mourning and beating their chests and listening to the tape, as in previous years, so that after the opening of the nursing home, by mourning and beating their chests for Imam Hussein (PBUH) and crying for the household of that Prophet, they emptied their hearts and remember the prisoners of Karbala to reduce the suffering of their captivity; With tears for the family of the Prophet (PBUH), let them revive their spirit and soul and renew their covenant with the ideals of that Prophet, who in captivity and until the end of his life, their path is still Hussein and their leader Khomeini, and by following the prisoners of Karbala, they never surrendered to the enemy and died; They will not be humiliated.

The person in charge of the cultural group of the camp had already made the necessary arrangements and determined which sanatoriums would be the place of mourning, who would give the speech, and in what manner and order the ceremony would be held. It was around half past seven in the morning. While the comrades were preparing themselves with the same enthusiasm, a soldier named Rasmi came to the window and called: "sir [The head of the sanatorium], come!"

 The head of the sanatorium went behind the window. The said formally: "Squealing and crying are absolutely forbidden. Anyone or any sanatorium, we will torture them."

He said these things and left; the head of the sanatorium, who had returned from behind the window, wanted to say something, but the knot was stuck in his throat and he had no way to speak; only Rasmi said: “mourning and gatherings are prohibited."

With tears in his eyes, he went behind the pillar of the hospital, buried his head in his knees and began to cry. There was no more sound or words coming from the asylum; Except for the silent clamor of the captives and the remembrance of their Hussein.

The tent of sadness, which indicated oppression and love, accommodates everyone and the storm of loving tears engulfs everyone. Minutes passed like this. Rasmi return. As he passed by the window, he repeated again that it is forbidden to breastfeed and left. The children moved gradually and said: "We swore to God that we wanted to give our lives on the front for Imam Hussain (PBUH), but we couldn't, so I will give them here."

I told the head of the sanatorium to announce before the opening of the hospital that no one reacts, Imam Hussein (PBUH) will do it himself.

The head of the sanatorium announced this message. It seems they had said the same thing to other sanatoriums.

Before the statistics, two soldiers stood in front of each sanatorium. Finally, they blew the statistics whistle and the statistics were over. A few comrades went looking for breakfast. Tears of mourning took the place of everything. Moments passed slowly. It was around nine o'clock in the morning. Everyone was waiting for a result; but there was no news. It was as if there was no plan for the Iraqis to mourn, even in the broadcast of a tragedy tape. The soldiers were still standing in front of the sanatorium door so that no one would enter the sanatorium. The comrades were sitting, standing or walking alone in the corners of the asylum, in the gardens, next to the wall of the stairs, in the corridors of the camp and anywhere in the camp, crying. Tears and sadness rained from the door and the wall of the camp. You should have been there and seen the uproar created by love for Imam Hussain (PBUH). What butterflies it spins around the candle of its existence. The comrades desperately asked the head of the camp to ask the Iraqi commander to re-play the tape of Abdul Zahra, which they used to play in the past years, now that breast-feeding is prohibited. The chief of the camp told the Iraqis, but they did not accept, and this made the loved ones of Hussein (PBUH) more upset. Gradually, the weak and thin limbs of the children moved with the strength of affection for Imam Hussain (PBUH). A large number of comrades started walking down the hallway in the middle of the camp, but no one was talking to anyone else. Little by little, the number of people increased. Their heads were bare, and they opened their shirt collars, and they were still walking slowly, and the collective movement of the comrades had become like a peaceful demonstration; of course, without anyone talking to anyone.

At the end of the camp, there was a parking lot for several cars, which was considered a comrades' soccer field. In the same way, the comrades started a peaceful demonstration with their heads and bare feet, but apparently as a group, they shed tears or said "Hussein" and some of them beat their heads on the wall and cried loudly at the end of the road. It was here that Hossain’s love reached its peak and was close to the point of explosion. Perhaps it was here that Imam Hussain (PBUH) rushed to the help of his friends and followers, gave the answer of Hussain and fixed the work himself. The Iraqi soldiers felt threatened by seeing this scene and demonstrations. They informed the internal officials of the camp. They came and told the children to go to sanatoriums, but it was of no use and no one listened to these words. Iraqi Rasmi returned. Behind them, the head of the camp went to the headquarters. He asked for permission and went to the commander of the camp whose room was on the upper floor. He told him the movement and discomfort of the children and said that in the past years, breast-feeding inside the sanatoriums was somewhat free, and the command of the camp posted the tape of Abdul Zahra's death. But this year you also banned this little mourning. The children found such a state and your soldiers saw it too. I just came to tell you that if there is an accident or an unfortunate issue, I am not to blame and I am afraid of the children and I know that they will not accept any request or request.

Major Iraqi thought for a while and said: "You go, I will fix it." Because he understood that if the love of Imam Hussain (PBUH) ignites within his lovers, he will burn himself first and it will be expensive for him. The head of the sanatorium returned. A few minutes later, two of the internal rank and file of the camp came. They called the head of the sanatorium and said: "Everyone should go inside the sanatorium to beat their chest, but their voices should not come out of the window." They also put the tape of Abdul Zahra's death behind him. Of course, the fact that they said that your voice should not come out of the windows was because of the fear of their own soldiers lest the Shia soldiers attack the prisoners in harmony. An issue that had happened several times.

The head of the sanatorium also brought the news to the comrades. Suddenly the scene of the camp changed. While the prisoners were still crying after winning this Hussein victory, as if they had a smile on their face and felt that they had the support of Imam Hussein (PBUH), they went to the sanatoriums. By starting to mourn, beat their chests and give speeches, the captives achieved all their demands. Surely, it was the grace of Imam Hussain (PBUH) that extinguished the fire in the hearts of his lovers with the defeat of his enemies. In short, that scene of love and danger, attraction and explosion passed. On that day, Hussein was victorious and Yazidis were forced to defeat.[1]