View source for Making Copies

'''Tools and Practices for Copy-making'''

It was neither unusual nor unrealistic for Iranian prisoners to adopt a new life-style in   captivity while grappling with challenges and shortages in order to survive. They demonstrated that their hostility towards their captors could serve not just as a barrier to their ambitions but also as a motivating force for their innovation and creativity. It quickly became apparent to them that the constraints of captivity, along with tensions, prolonged loneliness, longing for their homeland, persistent homesickness , and torture inflicted by their captors, could result in feelings of isolation and depression. Consequently, instead of remaining passive in the pursuit of spirituality and joy, they harnessed their intellectual potential and innate creativity to gain a fresh outlook on life in the face of adversity and attempted to communicate better with their surroundings.

The key tools for communication were pen and paper. They acknowledged the necessity of these items to stay informed about events, promote unity, and bolster their faith. Access to writing wares was at times banned and at other times restricted. In the camps not visited by the Red Cross, the use of the above-mentioned was prohibited until the very last day of captivity, while restrictions in other camps varied based on specific circumstances. Possessing even a small pencil could result in severe consequences including lengthy prison sentences of up to a month and physical punishment.<ref name=":0">1. Khaji, Ali (2012). *Description of the Cage*. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan.]</ref>

== The Pen in Captivity ==
The pen was one of the earliest writing tools that Iranian prisoners did not possess. One of the ways of obtaining a pen was to cross the red line. On paydays, the Iraqis would give pens to the Iranian prisoners , so that they could sign; then during this occasion, they would change the pen's ink cartridge so that the Iraqis could not notice that the pen was empty. They would set fire to a piece of wood before it was completely charred. Then, this black substance was placed into the cartridge, which rose up to the bottom of the pen, leaving only the tip colored. This cartridge was quickly inserted, and  about seven or eight people could sign with it. When the Iraqis inspected the pen, they thought it was broken and set it aside to take with them. The prisoners had to do this furtively so  that the five or six Iraqis around the table would not notice.<ref>2. Nowzari, Faramarz (2012). *Hidden Embankment*. Tehran: Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Values.</ref>

Another method was to rob the representatives of the Red Cross of pen or pens in their possession. One of the prisoners would bump the pen box in the hand of the Red Cross representative following a premeditated plan, causing all the pens to fall on the ground. In the blink of an eye, there was no trace of the pens scattered on the floor. Red Cross representatives sometimes became angry and protested, and at other times, they ignored the incident. However, these pens would eventually run out and needed to be replaced. When the prisoners required a pen, they entrusted the task to the cleaner of the guard's room. He would use a syringe to draw ink from a pen on the desk of the Iraqis and inject it into the empty cartridge of their own pen.<ref name=":0" />

The pens that were obtained with this difficulty had to be well protected. Some prisoners were responsible for hiding these pens. They hid them inside discarded toothpaste tubes, inside cans filled with dehydrated milk, within hems  of blankets, and sometimes inside walking sticks. <ref>3. Saleminejad, Abdul Reza (2016). *Knowledge of liberated captives*. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>

== Paper in Captivity ==
The second thing that would enable prisoners   to write was paper. The most common way of obtaining paper was to use a cigarette wrapping paper  in which tobacco was wrapped and then presented as cigarette packets. Cement paper bags, washing powder cartons, and similar materials were other sources of paper supply. In this way, they would first let the cement  paper bag or cardboard remain in [[water]] until it was thoroughly soaked, then carefully separate its layers and dry them under the sun. Finally, these papers were cut into small pieces of various sizes, for example, ten by ten centimeters, and were used as notebooks.

Iranian prisoners had repeatedly raised objections to the Red Cross officials regarding the prohibition of pens and paper use, but the Iraqi government did not care. Finally, at the beginning of 1985, the Iraqi government allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide pens and paper to Iranian prisoners. However, this permission did not imply absolute freedom to use these materials. The Iraqis, aware that the prisoners cherished writing, used pens and paper as a means of tormenting them. Under various pretexts, writing materials were confiscated from the entire camp as a punishment, and after some time, they were returned to the prisoners with new conditions.

The camps of the Unregistered suffered from the same privation. Every time the representatives of the Red Cross visited the camp, they provided each prisoner with a pen and a forty-page notebook; however, the Iraqis would collect the previous month's notebook and pen.<ref name=":0" />

In addition to pen and paper, the prisoners requested copies of the Quran, Nahj ol-Balagha, Mafatih, high school textbooks, and English language didactic books from the representatives of the Red Cross. Initially, they provided each barrack with a copy of the Quran whose number increased over time. However, Iraqi soldiers often seized the Nahj ol-Balagha and Mafatih of the prisoners and did not return them under false pretexts. As a result, Iranian prisoners began to copy books, prayers, and to set what they remembered from Iran down on paper.

In the camp of Musel, when Nahj -ol-Balagha came into possession of the prisoners, Haj Agha Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard suggested that some individuals make copies of it in several volumes and hide them underground. This was to ensure that when the Iraqis seized the Nahj al-Balagha of the prisoners, these hidden versions could be uncovered and applied. There were also some polished individuals in the camp who participated in the lectures and interpretation sessions of Nahj al-Balagha which were held by Haj Agha Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard. They took notes down in his classes, which were then distributed among the prisoners to study throughout the year. The outcome of those years of editing and copying has now  been  published in two volumes entitled  “Purity and Service Charter”, which holds a special place in the literature of the LC`s [[resistance]].

Some of the prisoners were also responsible for writing the news that was broadcast on the [[radio]], and some others copied and broadcast it in other camps. Many news items were also transmitted to other camps through the patients who were sent to the city hospitals. They wrote the news on wrapping papers; and once put  inside the capsule  the news was passed from hand to hand and reached other prisoners <ref>4. Rajaei, Gholam Ali (2015). *The Life of Abu Torabi Fard*. Second volume Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>.

== See also ==

* Letter Composition
* Replication/copy-making
* [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar|Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard]]
* Journalism and Media

== References ==
<references />
== For Further Reading: ==
Hosseinipour, Seyyed Nasser (2015). *The Leg left Behind*. Chapter 46. Tehran: Surah Mehr.

'''Parvin Kashanizadeh'''
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