A Memory worth Reading from the Master of POWs:

When the Baathist Guard Swore to Lady Fatima

Navideshahed: It was the 16th day that I had stayed there. I was so thirsty, I said: “Hey the Lady ‘Fatemeh Zahra’, today I’m so happy that I will be martyred the same as the children of Imam Hussein Ebn Ali (AS) in a thirsty condition.”? I put my head on the ground and I prepared myself.

News ID: ۳۶۲۳۰۷

چهارشنبه - ۱۵ آبان ۲۰۱۲ / 2012 15 August

The following memory has been selected from the book ‘Untold Epics’ which has been narrated by Sayyed Ali Abutorabi. The interesting memory has been mentioned bellow:

When we were in the captivity, calling for prayer with a loud voice was banned. We would call for prayer when we were there, but in a way that the enemy would not notice the issue. Someday a 17-year-old guy who was very thin, weak and frail got up to perform the Morning Prayer and he called for prayer. Suddenly the Iraqi Baathist guard came there and he said: “What are you doing? Are you calling for prayer? Come here!”?

One of the prisoners of war when he saw if the young weak and frail guy to be tortured, it won’t be clear whether he will survive after being beaten or not. He jumped behind the window and the Iraqi guard said: “What is wrong, I called for prayer, not him.”? That Baathist guard said: “He called for prayer.”? Asad Abadi urged that “No you are wrong, I called for prayer.”?

The Iraqi Baathist guard said: “Shut up! Sit down”? and he started expressing insults! He called for prayer not you. Our sacrificer brother put his hand on his ear and he started calling for prayer with a loud voice. The Iraqi Baathist guard escaped. When the Iraqi Baathist guard left that place, he looked at the 17-year-old prisoner of war and he told him: “You should know that I called for prayer, but you did not call for prayer.”? Now I’m the one who might be punished.

Anyways, they put him in the jail and they did not give water to him for 16 days. The jail was in the camp Movasel (Movasel number 1 and Number 2) it was under ground. It was very hot, in a way that it seemed some fires were burning under that. That Iraqi Baathist guard would splash water into the jail in some cases in order to make the weather warmer and humid. Everyday they would give an Iraqi bread that most of the bread was not cooked too.

He would say: “I thought if I eat the bread, I will be suffocated due to thirst. I would only test the bread in order to absorb its sap. That guard would come there every few times and in order to bother me, he would bring water, but he would not give it to me, he would splash the water on the ground and he repeated this work several times.”?

He said: It was the 16th day that I had stayed there. I was so thirsty, I said: “Hey the Lady ‘Fatemeh Zahra’, today I’m so happy that I will be martyred the same as the children of Mr. Hussein Ebn Ali (AS) in a thirsty condition.”? I put my head on the ground and I prepared myself. I said: “Dear Lady Zahra, I’m really proud to be martyred in a thirsty way and martyrdom is more interesting for me when I’m thirsty and I want you to accept my martyrdom as a green leaf from me.”?

I had promised myself if even they bring water to me, not to stand up and drink the water in order to pass away. I started expressing the religious sentences which are recited before martyrdom. I noticed that my tongue does not move in my mouth and my mouth had been dried.

In that condition, the Iraqi Baathist guard came behind the window. He was exactly the guard who had put me in that situation and he would always bring water and he would pour on the ground. He called my name from the window that he has brought water.

I did not pay attention to his words. I noticed that the tone of his voice had been changed and he was crying in tears and he said: “Come here, I have brought water for you. He was swearing to the name of Her Excellency Zahra (SJ) in order to accept the water from him.”?

The Iraqis would never swear to the name of Her Excellency Zahra (S). When he mentioned the sacred name of the Lady Fatemeh Zahra, I could not tolerate that situation. I turned my head and I observed that he was crying in tears and he would say: “Come here and take the water! This time is different with the previous times.”?

As I was on the ground, I turned my head and he poured the water into my mouth. He poured the second and third glass of water as well. My condition got better. I got up. He said: “I swear to the lady Fatemeh Zahra (S) and I want you to forgive me!”?

I said: “As long as you do not say what has happened to you, I won’t forgive you.”?

He said: “Last night it was the midnight. My mom came to me when I was sleeping and she woke up me and as she was angry and she was crying in tears said: “What have you done that you have made me shameful in the perspective of her Excellency Zahra (S), because I met her in my dream.”? She told me: “Say to your son to go to apologize from prisoner of war that he has bothered and tortured, otherwise I will curse you all the times.”?

The End

The following memory has been selected from the book ‘Untold Epics’ which has been narrated by Sayyed Ali Abutorabi. The interesting memory has been mentioned bellow: When we were in the captivity, calling for prayer with a loud voice was banned. We would call for prayer when we were there, but in a way that the enemy would not notice the issue. Someday a 17-year-old guy who was very thin, weak and frail got up to perform the Morning Prayer and he called for prayer. Suddenly the Iraqi Baathist guard came there and he said: “What are you doing? Are you calling for prayer? Come here!”? One of the prisoners of war when he saw if the young weak and frail guy to be tortured, it won’t be clear whether he will survive after being beaten or not. He jumped behind the window and the Iraqi guard said: “What is wrong, I called for prayer, not him.”? That Baathist guard said: “He called for prayer.”? Asad Abadi urged that “No you are wrong, I called for prayer.”? The Iraqi Baathist guard said: “Shut up! Sit down”? and he started expressing insults! He called for prayer not you. Our sacrificer brother put his hand on his ear and he started calling for prayer with a loud voice. The Iraqi Baathist guard escaped. When the Iraqi Baathist guard left that place, he looked at the 17-year-old prisoner of war and he told him: “You should know that I called for prayer, but you did not call for prayer.”? Now I’m the one who might be punished. Anyways, they put him in the jail and they did not give water to him for 16 days. The jail was in the camp Movasel (Movasel number 1 and Number 2) it was under ground. It was very hot, in a way that it seemed some fires were burning under that. That Iraqi Baathist guard would splash water into the jail in some cases in order to make the weather warmer and humid. Everyday they would give an Iraqi bread that most of the bread was not cooked too. He would say: “I thought if I eat the bread, I will be suffocated due to thirst. I would only test the bread in order to absorb its sap. That guard would come there every few times and in order to bother me, he would bring water, but he would not give it to me, he would splash the water on the ground and he repeated this work several times.”? He said: It was the 16th day that I had stayed there. I was so thirsty, I said: “Hey the Lady ‘Fatemeh Zahra’, today I’m so happy that I will be martyred the same as the children of Mr. Hussein Ebn Ali (AS) in a thirsty condition.”? I put my head on the ground and I prepared myself. I said: “Dear Lady Zahra, I’m really proud to be martyred in a thirsty way and martyrdom is more interesting for me when I’m thirsty and I want you to accept my martyrdom as a green leaf from me.”? I had promised myself if even they bring water to me, not to stand up and drink the water in order to pass away. I started expressing the religious sentences which are recited before martyrdom. I noticed that my tongue does not move in my mouth and my mouth had been dried. In that condition, the Iraqi Baathist guard came behind the window. He was exactly the guard who had put me in that situation and he would always bring water and he would pour on the ground. He called my name from the window that he has brought water. I did not pay attention to his words. I noticed that the tone of his voice had been changed and he was crying in tears and he said: “Come here, I have brought water for you. He was swearing to the name of Her Excellency Zahra (SJ) in order to accept the water from him.”? The Iraqis would never swear to the name of Her Excellency Zahra (S). When he mentioned the sacred name of the Lady Fatemeh Zahra, I could not tolerate that situation. I turned my head and I observed that he was crying in tears and he would say: “Come here and take the water! This time is different with the previous times.”? As I was on the ground, I turned my head and he poured the water into my mouth. He poured the second and third glass of water as well. My condition got better. I got up. He said: “I swear to the lady Fatemeh Zahra (S) and I want you to forgive me!”? I said: “As long as you do not say what has happened to you, I won’t forgive you.”? He said: “Last night it was the midnight. My mom came to me when I was sleeping and she woke up me and as she was angry and she was crying in tears said: “What have you done that you have made me shameful in the perspective of her Excellency Zahra (S), because I met her in my dream.”? She told me: “Say to your son to go to apologize from prisoner of war that he has bothered and tortured, otherwise I will curse you all the times.”? The End