The affair of blockwork in Musel camp 2 - Revision history

Marjan-khanlari at 19:33, 9 August 2026

2026-08-09T19:33:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:33, 9 August 2026
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	This situation continued for about four months. Although the [[captives]] during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the barrack and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.		This situation continued for about four months. Although the [[captives]] during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the barrack and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.

	The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha [[Abu ~~Tarabi Fard~~, Seyyed ~~Ali Akbar~~\|Abu Torabi]] and clarified the issue for him. Mr. [[Abu ~~Tarabi Fard~~, Seyyed ~~Ali Akbar~~\|Abu Torabi Fard]] promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />		The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar\|Abu Torabi]] and clarified the issue for him. Mr. [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />

	A significant number of prisoners still did not trust Mr. [[Abu ~~Tarabi Fard~~, Seyyed ~~Ali Akbar~~\|Abu Torabi Fard]], but heard his discourse and arguments:		A significant number of prisoners still did not trust Mr. [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]], but heard his discourse and arguments:

	"You have fulfilled your duty and God will preserve your reward. From now and on behave yourselves and do not provoke the Iraqis. Because you are the assets of the revolution and you shall remain healthy to return to Iran. If there is a religious problem arising from drudgery for Iraqis, I will undertake its responsibility ,thus, you may accept the offer of Iraqis. What you have spiritually achieved is even greater than what the [[clergymen]] of the seminary might attain after 20 solid years of purging their inner selves and this assurance I give you with the utmost certainty. In captivity, we are all like runners who should reach the finishing line together. If someone falls back and is out of breath, you can't say I want to keep going ahead. If he is lagging behind, you are to blame , do you not agree that many people have become too exhausted to carry on in these four months, and many who are now on the other side of the camp, could have still been with us. Do not let the enemy divide you. And now the blockwork has stopped. This is not helping the oppressor. The blockwork will be used merely for the construction of buildings. We are too far from the frontlines, and you may rest assured that the blockwork will not be utilized for trenching. So what we can do the best is doing the blockwork and at the same time spreading our Islamic propagandas. "<ref>"The secret of the unity of captives at the side of the Lord of Captives” incorporated into the Holy Defense News Agency on August 25<sup>th</sup>, 2014 [https://defapress.ir (https://defapress.ir)] quoting from Jame Azadegan website.</ref>		"You have fulfilled your duty and God will preserve your reward. From now and on behave yourselves and do not provoke the Iraqis. Because you are the assets of the revolution and you shall remain healthy to return to Iran. If there is a religious problem arising from drudgery for Iraqis, I will undertake its responsibility ,thus, you may accept the offer of Iraqis. What you have spiritually achieved is even greater than what the [[clergymen]] of the seminary might attain after 20 solid years of purging their inner selves and this assurance I give you with the utmost certainty. In captivity, we are all like runners who should reach the finishing line together. If someone falls back and is out of breath, you can't say I want to keep going ahead. If he is lagging behind, you are to blame , do you not agree that many people have become too exhausted to carry on in these four months, and many who are now on the other side of the camp, could have still been with us. Do not let the enemy divide you. And now the blockwork has stopped. This is not helping the oppressor. The blockwork will be used merely for the construction of buildings. We are too far from the frontlines, and you may rest assured that the blockwork will not be utilized for trenching. So what we can do the best is doing the blockwork and at the same time spreading our Islamic propagandas. "<ref>"The secret of the unity of captives at the side of the Lord of Captives” incorporated into the Holy Defense News Agency on August 25<sup>th</sup>, 2014 [https://defapress.ir (https://defapress.ir)] quoting from Jame Azadegan website.</ref>

	In this way, the captives were convinced and started with the blockwork the next day. Meanwhile, Mr. [[Abu ~~Tarabi Fard~~, Seyyed ~~Ali Akbar~~\|Abu Torabi Fard]] himself picked up the shovel and began the work. With the completion of each blockwork, the captives let out a loud salutation (addressing the members of the Holy [[Family]]) and then recited the Quranic verse <sup>"Wajl Farajham wa Ahlak Adaham wa Id Imam al-Khomeini wa Ansar Jiyush al-Muslimin".</sup>		In this way, the captives were convinced and started with the blockwork the next day. Meanwhile, Mr. [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] himself picked up the shovel and began the work. With the completion of each blockwork, the captives let out a loud salutation (addressing the members of the Holy [[Family]]) and then recited the Quranic verse <sup>"Wajl Farajham wa Ahlak Adaham wa Id Imam al-Khomeini wa Ansar Jiyush al-Muslimin".</sup>

	The commander of the camp, after hearing the motto involving Imam Khomeini, again resorted to Mr. [[Abu ~~Tarabi Fard~~, Seyyed ~~Ali Akbar~~\|Abu Torabi Fard]] and said to him:<blockquote>"If an Iraqi prisoner in Iran speaks in favor of Saddam and wishes him victory and well-being, what will your government do with him? Do they allow him to do this or punish him? When you use Khomeini's name in this way, what justification and explanation should I give to the higher authorities?"</blockquote>Then Mr. [[Abu ~~Tarabi Fard~~, Seyyed ~~Ali Akbar~~\|Abu Torabi Fard]] spoke to the captives thus:<blockquote>" In his speech the colonel mentioned Imam`s name preceded by the title Seyyed whereas he said Saddam`s name without any titles. In my opinion, what the colonel said, made sense. So I got his permission to gather the captives together and speak to them, and he granted the permission. "<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>It was agreed that from that time onwards the captives would not salute the members of the Holy Family aloud in the yard.		The commander of the camp, after hearing the motto involving Imam Khomeini, again resorted to Mr. [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] and said to him:<blockquote>"If an Iraqi prisoner in Iran speaks in favor of Saddam and wishes him victory and well-being, what will your government do with him? Do they allow him to do this or punish him? When you use Khomeini's name in this way, what justification and explanation should I give to the higher authorities?"</blockquote>Then Mr. [[Abu Torabifard, Seyyed Aliakbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] spoke to the captives thus:<blockquote>" In his speech the colonel mentioned Imam`s name preceded by the title Seyyed whereas he said Saddam`s name without any titles. In my opinion, what the colonel said, made sense. So I got his permission to gather the captives together and speak to them, and he granted the permission. "<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>It was agreed that from that time onwards the captives would not salute the members of the Holy Family aloud in the yard.

	A week later, the Iraqis issued a new order according to which captives didn`t have to do the blockwork unless they themselves volunteered to do so. After that, the problems were largely resolved, the doors of rooms stood open and life began to stir in them again.		A week later, the Iraqis issued a new order according to which captives didn`t have to do the blockwork unless they themselves volunteered to do so. After that, the problems were largely resolved, the doors of rooms stood open and life began to stir in them again.
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	== See also ==		== See also ==

	* [[Captivity and captives]]		* Captivity and captives
	* [[Prisoners of War Administration Commission\|Prisoners]]		* [[Prisoners of War Administration Commission\|Prisoners]]
	* [[Musel camp 2]]		* [[Musel camp 2]]
	* [[Important events of Musel camp 2]]		* Important events of Musel camp 2
	* [[Goodbye Mr. Chairman (book)]]		* Goodbye Mr. Chairman (book)

	== Bibliography ==		== Bibliography ==
	<references />'''Massoud Amirkhani'''		<references />'''Massoud Amirkhani'''
	[[fa:ماجرای بلوک زنی در اردوگاه موصل 2]]		[[fa:ماجرای بلوک زنی در اردوگاه موصل 2]]

Marjan-khanlari at 15:36, 17 October 2025

2025-10-17T15:36:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:36, 17 October 2025
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	During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>[[LCs Encyclopedia]], under the entry “ [[drudgery]]”</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.		During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>[[LCs Encyclopedia]], under the entry “ [[drudgery]]”</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.

	The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the [[Musel camp 2\|Musel Camp 2]] (Old Musel 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four ~~sanatoriums~~, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>		The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the [[Musel camp 2\|Musel Camp 2]] (Old Musel 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four barracks, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>

	The camp commander sent some officers to talk to the prisoners in order to convince them, but the prisoners stood put. Then, the commander himself came along with his officers and threatened to punish the prisoners if they did not cooperate. The commander of the camp got really frustrated and disgruntled after hearing the negative answer of the prisoners and seeing their [[resistance]]. Hence, a difficult and arduous period began for the prisoners of this camp.		The camp commander sent some officers to talk to the prisoners in order to convince them, but the prisoners stood put. Then, the commander himself came along with his officers and threatened to punish the prisoners if they did not cooperate. The commander of the camp got really frustrated and disgruntled after hearing the negative answer of the prisoners and seeing their [[resistance]]. Hence, a difficult and arduous period began for the prisoners of this camp.

	The first thing they did, was to start beating up the prisoners of the same four ~~sanatoriums~~. Ten captives from each ~~sanatorium~~ were taken upstairs and beaten up violently in the hope of getting at least one of them to express regret and remorse:		The first thing they did, was to start beating up the prisoners of the same four barracks. Ten captives from each barrack were taken upstairs and beaten up violently in the hope of getting at least one of them to express regret and remorse:

	" The guys who had taken the hint, tried to volunteer to be one of the next ten captives. In short a self-sacrifice competition commenced amidst the lads. They expected those who had been beaten and were no longer afraid of it, to return and volunteer instead of the weaker ones.		" The guys who had taken the hint, tried to volunteer to be one of the next ten captives. In short a self-sacrifice competition commenced amidst the lads. They expected those who had been beaten and were no longer afraid of it, to return and volunteer instead of the weaker ones.
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	The enemy beat the first thirty captives taken upstairs hoping that some would volunteer to work, but when they realized that the beatings were in vain, he got demoralized from beating up the guys. Especially since they saw that the beaten up ones were looked up to by the rest of the captives; The unbeaten ones, especially the weaker guys fell all over their heroes, kissed them, hugged them and in short, made much of them. Therefore, the Iraqis stopped beating them and tried to break their endurance with long-termed planning."<ref name=":0" />		The enemy beat the first thirty captives taken upstairs hoping that some would volunteer to work, but when they realized that the beatings were in vain, he got demoralized from beating up the guys. Especially since they saw that the beaten up ones were looked up to by the rest of the captives; The unbeaten ones, especially the weaker guys fell all over their heroes, kissed them, hugged them and in short, made much of them. Therefore, the Iraqis stopped beating them and tried to break their endurance with long-termed planning."<ref name=":0" />

	In order to break the endurance and stamina of the prisoners, they shut the doors of the ~~sanatoriums~~ the whole day long and opened them only for ten minutes a day, so that they could go to the bathroom:		In order to break the endurance and stamina of the prisoners, they shut the doors of the barracks the whole day long and opened them only for ten minutes a day, so that they could go to the bathroom:

	"It was in early January that they shut the door on us. Every evening, the doors were opened for ten minutes for captives to go to the bathroom. The total time was ten minutes. Within this short spell, we had to take turns going to the bathroom as rapidly as possible. If ten minutes were over and someone was still in the bathroom or in the yard, he would be beaten no matter what exactly he was doing at the moment. "Most of the guys had been beaten up, and it was a rarity to come across someone who could have given the Iraqis the slip."		"It was in early January that they shut the door on us. Every evening, the doors were opened for ten minutes for captives to go to the bathroom. The total time was ten minutes. Within this short spell, we had to take turns going to the bathroom as rapidly as possible. If ten minutes were over and someone was still in the bathroom or in the yard, he would be beaten no matter what exactly he was doing at the moment. "Most of the guys had been beaten up, and it was a rarity to come across someone who could have given the Iraqis the slip."

	This situation continued for about four months. Although the [[captives]] during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the ~~sanatorium~~ and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.		This situation continued for about four months. Although the [[captives]] during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the barrack and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.

	The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi]] and clarified the issue for him. Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />		The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi]] and clarified the issue for him. Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />

Marjan-khanlari at 09:48, 18 September 2025

2025-09-18T09:48:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:48, 18 September 2025
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	During [[the captivity]] of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>[[LCs Encyclopedia]], under the entry “ [[drudgery]]”</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.		During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>[[LCs Encyclopedia]], under the entry “ [[drudgery]]”</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.

	The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the [[Musel camp 2\|Musel Camp 2]] (Old Musel 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four sanatoriums, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>		The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the [[Musel camp 2\|Musel Camp 2]] (Old Musel 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four sanatoriums, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>
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	The camp commander sent some officers to talk to the prisoners in order to convince them, but the prisoners stood put. Then, the commander himself came along with his officers and threatened to punish the prisoners if they did not cooperate. The commander of the camp got really frustrated and disgruntled after hearing the negative answer of the prisoners and seeing their [[resistance]]. Hence, a difficult and arduous period began for the prisoners of this camp.		The camp commander sent some officers to talk to the prisoners in order to convince them, but the prisoners stood put. Then, the commander himself came along with his officers and threatened to punish the prisoners if they did not cooperate. The commander of the camp got really frustrated and disgruntled after hearing the negative answer of the prisoners and seeing their [[resistance]]. Hence, a difficult and arduous period began for the prisoners of this camp.

	The first thing they did, was to start beating up the prisoners of the same four sanatoriums. Ten captives from each sanatorium were taken upstairs and beaten up violently in the hope of getting at least one of them to express regret and remorse: " The guys who had taken the hint, tried to volunteer to be one of the next ten captives. In short a self-sacrifice competition commenced amidst the lads. They expected those who had been beaten and were no longer afraid of it, to return and volunteer instead of the weaker ones.		The first thing they did, was to start beating up the prisoners of the same four sanatoriums. Ten captives from each sanatorium were taken upstairs and beaten up violently in the hope of getting at least one of them to express regret and remorse:

			" The guys who had taken the hint, tried to volunteer to be one of the next ten captives. In short a self-sacrifice competition commenced amidst the lads. They expected those who had been beaten and were no longer afraid of it, to return and volunteer instead of the weaker ones.

	The enemy beat the first thirty captives taken upstairs hoping that some would volunteer to work, but when they realized that the beatings were in vain, he got demoralized from beating up the guys. Especially since they saw that the beaten up ones were looked up to by the rest of the captives; The unbeaten ones, especially the weaker guys fell all over their heroes, kissed them, hugged them and in short, made much of them. Therefore, the Iraqis stopped beating them and tried to break their endurance with long-termed planning."<ref name=":0" />		The enemy beat the first thirty captives taken upstairs hoping that some would volunteer to work, but when they realized that the beatings were in vain, he got demoralized from beating up the guys. Especially since they saw that the beaten up ones were looked up to by the rest of the captives; The unbeaten ones, especially the weaker guys fell all over their heroes, kissed them, hugged them and in short, made much of them. Therefore, the Iraqis stopped beating them and tried to break their endurance with long-termed planning."<ref name=":0" />

	In order to break the endurance and stamina of the prisoners, they shut the doors of the sanatoriums the whole day long and opened them only for ten minutes a day, so that they could go to the bathroom: "It was in early January that they shut the door on us. Every evening, the doors were opened for ten minutes for captives to go to the bathroom. The total time was ten minutes. Within this short spell, we had to take turns going to the bathroom as rapidly as possible. If ten minutes were over and someone was still in the bathroom or in the yard, he would be beaten no matter what exactly he was doing at the moment. "Most of the guys had been beaten up, and it was a rarity to come across someone who could have given the Iraqis the slip."		In order to break the endurance and stamina of the prisoners, they shut the doors of the sanatoriums the whole day long and opened them only for ten minutes a day, so that they could go to the bathroom:

			"It was in early January that they shut the door on us. Every evening, the doors were opened for ten minutes for captives to go to the bathroom. The total time was ten minutes. Within this short spell, we had to take turns going to the bathroom as rapidly as possible. If ten minutes were over and someone was still in the bathroom or in the yard, he would be beaten no matter what exactly he was doing at the moment. "Most of the guys had been beaten up, and it was a rarity to come across someone who could have given the Iraqis the slip."

	This situation continued for about four months. Although the [[captives]] during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the sanatorium and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.		This situation continued for about four months. Although the [[captives]] during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the sanatorium and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.
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	The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi]] and clarified the issue for him. Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />		The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi]] and clarified the issue for him. Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />

	A significant number of prisoners still did not trust Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]], but heard his discourse and arguments: "You have fulfilled your duty and God will preserve your reward. From now and on behave yourselves and do not provoke the Iraqis. Because you are the assets of the revolution and you shall remain healthy to return to Iran. If there is a religious problem arising from drudgery for Iraqis, I will undertake its responsibility ,thus, you may accept the offer of Iraqis. What you have spiritually achieved is even greater than what the [[clergymen]] of the seminary might attain after 20 solid years of purging their inner selves and this assurance I give you with the utmost certainty. In captivity, we are all like runners who should reach the finishing line together. If someone falls back and is out of breath, you can't say I want to keep going ahead. If he is lagging behind, you are to blame , do you not agree that many people have become too exhausted to carry on in these four months, and many who are now on the other side of the camp, could have still been with us. Do not let the enemy divide you. And now the blockwork has stopped. This is not helping the oppressor. The blockwork will be used merely for the construction of buildings. We are too far from the frontlines, and you may rest assured that the blockwork will not be utilized for trenching. So what we can do the best is doing the blockwork and at the same time spreading our Islamic propagandas. "<ref>"The secret of the unity of captives at the side of the Lord of Captives” incorporated into the Holy Defense News Agency on August 25<sup>th</sup>, 2014 [https://defapress.ir (https://defapress.ir)] quoting from Jame Azadegan website.</ref>		A significant number of prisoners still did not trust Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]], but heard his discourse and arguments:

			"You have fulfilled your duty and God will preserve your reward. From now and on behave yourselves and do not provoke the Iraqis. Because you are the assets of the revolution and you shall remain healthy to return to Iran. If there is a religious problem arising from drudgery for Iraqis, I will undertake its responsibility ,thus, you may accept the offer of Iraqis. What you have spiritually achieved is even greater than what the [[clergymen]] of the seminary might attain after 20 solid years of purging their inner selves and this assurance I give you with the utmost certainty. In captivity, we are all like runners who should reach the finishing line together. If someone falls back and is out of breath, you can't say I want to keep going ahead. If he is lagging behind, you are to blame , do you not agree that many people have become too exhausted to carry on in these four months, and many who are now on the other side of the camp, could have still been with us. Do not let the enemy divide you. And now the blockwork has stopped. This is not helping the oppressor. The blockwork will be used merely for the construction of buildings. We are too far from the frontlines, and you may rest assured that the blockwork will not be utilized for trenching. So what we can do the best is doing the blockwork and at the same time spreading our Islamic propagandas. "<ref>"The secret of the unity of captives at the side of the Lord of Captives” incorporated into the Holy Defense News Agency on August 25<sup>th</sup>, 2014 [https://defapress.ir (https://defapress.ir)] quoting from Jame Azadegan website.</ref>

	In this way, the captives were convinced and started with the blockwork the next day. Meanwhile, Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] himself picked up the shovel and began the work. With the completion of each blockwork, the captives let out a loud salutation (addressing the members of the Holy [[Family]]) and then recited the Quranic verse <sup>"Wajl Farajham wa Ahlak Adaham wa Id Imam al-Khomeini wa Ansar Jiyush al-Muslimin".</sup>		In this way, the captives were convinced and started with the blockwork the next day. Meanwhile, Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] himself picked up the shovel and began the work. With the completion of each blockwork, the captives let out a loud salutation (addressing the members of the Holy [[Family]]) and then recited the Quranic verse <sup>"Wajl Farajham wa Ahlak Adaham wa Id Imam al-Khomeini wa Ansar Jiyush al-Muslimin".</sup>

	The commander of the camp, after hearing the motto involving Imam Khomeini, again resorted to Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] and said to him:<blockquote>"If an Iraqi prisoner in Iran speaks in favor of Saddam and wishes him victory and well-being, what will your government do with him? Do they allow him to do this or punish him? When you use Khomeini's name in this way, what justification and explanation should I give to the higher authorities?"</blockquote>Then Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] spoke to the captives thus:<blockquote>" In his speech the colonel mentioned Imam`s name preceded by the title Seyyed whereas he said Saddam`s name without any titles. In my opinion, what the colonel said, made sense. So I got his permission to gather the captives together and speak to them, and he granted the permission. "<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>It was agreed that from that time onwards the captives would not salute the members of the Holy Family aloud in the yard. . A week later, the Iraqis issued a new order according to which captives didn`t have to do the blockwork unless they themselves volunteered to do so. After that, the problems were largely resolved, the doors of rooms stood open and life began to stir in them again.		The commander of the camp, after hearing the motto involving Imam Khomeini, again resorted to Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] and said to him:<blockquote>"If an Iraqi prisoner in Iran speaks in favor of Saddam and wishes him victory and well-being, what will your government do with him? Do they allow him to do this or punish him? When you use Khomeini's name in this way, what justification and explanation should I give to the higher authorities?"</blockquote>Then Mr. [[Abu Tarabi Fard, Seyyed Ali Akbar\|Abu Torabi Fard]] spoke to the captives thus:<blockquote>" In his speech the colonel mentioned Imam`s name preceded by the title Seyyed whereas he said Saddam`s name without any titles. In my opinion, what the colonel said, made sense. So I got his permission to gather the captives together and speak to them, and he granted the permission. "<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>It was agreed that from that time onwards the captives would not salute the members of the Holy Family aloud in the yard.

			A week later, the Iraqis issued a new order according to which captives didn`t have to do the blockwork unless they themselves volunteered to do so. After that, the problems were largely resolved, the doors of rooms stood open and life began to stir in them again.

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Marjan-khanlari: /* Bibliography */

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Bibliography

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:00, 19 February 2025
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	During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>[[LCs Encyclopedia]], under the entry “ ~~drudgery”~~</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.		During [[the captivity]] of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>[[LCs Encyclopedia]], under the entry “ [[drudgery]]”</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.

	The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the [[Musel camp 2\|Musel Camp 2]] (Old Musel 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four sanatoriums, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>		The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the [[Musel camp 2\|Musel Camp 2]] (Old Musel 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four sanatoriums, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>

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	== Bibliography ==		== Bibliography ==
	<references />'''Massoud Amirkhani'''		<references />'''Massoud Amirkhani'''
			[[fa:ماجرای بلوک زنی در اردوگاه موصل 2]]

Marjan-khanlari: /* Bibliography */

2025-02-19T04:58:10Z

Bibliography

Marjan-khanlari: Created page with "During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire,..."

2025-02-19T04:51:18Z

Created page with "During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire,..."

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During the captivity of Iranian soldiers in the camps of the Baath regime in Iraq, the army of this country put Iranian captives to drudgery pursuing various goals such as taking away the power of thinking and creativity from the captives, controlling the captives more easily, creating such sentiments as humiliation, suffering, anxiety, failure and the like, carrying out construction projects such as building houses, digging wells, setting up camps, laying barbed wire, and entertaining captives <ref>LCs Encyclopedia, under the entry “ drudgery”</ref>. The Iraqis referred to Chapter III of the Third Geneva Convention, Article 89, Paragraph 3, regarding the drudgery of prisoners of war, and sometimes it was up to the captives to accept it, and they even paid wages for doing those hard tasks.

The blockwork was one of the actual and tangible forms of drudgery in POW camps. In late fall of 1981, the Iraqi commander of the Musel Camp 2 (Old Mosul 1 or Kheybaries) Colonel Mohammed gathered the captives together and declared that according to the Geneva Convention, the captives were to do blockwork and get wages in return for their services. More than half of the captives of the camp did the blockwork for the Iraqis for a while without any [[protest]]. But some of the radical captives, namely, followers of Hezbollah in consultation with one another across the four sanatoriums, came to the conclusion that it was against the teachings of their prophet to work for the enemy and that those blocks might be used for trenching. Therefore, they decided against the blockwork: "One of the traitors was in charge of the blockwork. When it was the turn of the captives in our room to go to the blockwork, the night before he informed us that tomorrow is your turn to do the blockwork. The guys said: we have made up our minds not to do it. And he had wasted no time notifying the Iraqis. ”<ref name=":0">Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2017). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Memoirs of Ali Alidoost Qazvini. Tehran: [https://www.mfpa.ir Payam Azadegan].</ref>

The camp commander sent some officers to talk to the prisoners in order to convince them, but the prisoners stood put. Then, the commander himself came along with his officers and threatened to punish the prisoners if they did not cooperate. The commander of the camp got really frustrated and disgruntled after hearing the negative answer of the prisoners and seeing their [[resistance]]. Hence, a difficult and arduous period began for the prisoners of this camp.

The first thing they did, was to start beating up the prisoners of the same four sanatoriums. Ten captives from each sanatorium were taken upstairs and beaten up violently in the hope of getting at least one of them to express regret and remorse: " The guys who had taken the hint, tried to volunteer to be one of the next ten captives. In short a self-sacrifice competition commenced amidst the lads. They expected those who had been beaten and were no longer afraid of it, to return and volunteer instead of the weaker ones.

... The enemy beat the first thirty captives taken upstairs hoping that some would volunteer to work, but when they realized that the beatings were in vain, he got demoralized from beating up the guys. Especially since they saw that the beaten up ones were looked up to by the rest of the captives; The unbeaten ones, especially the weaker guys fell all over their heroes, kissed them, hugged them and in short, made much of them. Therefore, the Iraqis stopped beating them and tried to break their endurance with long-termed planning."<ref name=":0" />

In order to break the endurance and stamina of the prisoners, they shut the doors of the sanatoriums the whole day long and opened them only for ten minutes a day, so that they could go to the bathroom: "It was in early January that they shut the door on us. Every evening, the doors were opened for ten minutes for captives to go to the bathroom. The total time was ten minutes. Within this short spell, we had to take turns going to the bathroom as rapidly as possible. If ten minutes were over and someone was still in the bathroom or in the yard, he would be beaten no matter what exactly he was doing at the moment. "Most of the guys had been beaten up, and it was a rarity to come across someone who could have given the Iraqis the slip."

This situation continued for about four months. Although the captives during this time made efforts such as fixing the hose and extending it from the bathroom into the sanatorium and using the electric element to heat the [[water]] to fulfil their needs, but the successive tortures, the use of unpurified water for drinking, the malnutrition, the lack of sunlight and not complying with the most basic rules of hygiene predisposed them to diseases such as nervous breakdown, stomach ache and problems with the digestive system, renal diseases and diseases involving bones and joints specifically arthritis.

The arrival of Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard and another 150 prisoners at the camp on 22<sup>nd</sup> of April,1982 promised to improve the mutual behavior of prisoners and Iraqis towards each other. At the same time, the Red Cross delegation also visited the camp and suggested to the camp commander seeking help from Mr. Abu Torabi Fard to solve this problem: "During the three days that the delegation was in the camp, the doors of our room stood open... The commander had spoken with Haj Agha Abu Torabi and clarified the issue for him. Mr. Abu Torabi Fard promised to solve the problem. Therefore, as soon as the door was opened, Haji came to see us in person. The Iraqis were tired of constantly watching over us and wanted to solve this problem somehow. Haj Agha had asked the Iraqis for five days and requested that the room door stand open during that time.<ref name=":0" />

A significant number of prisoners still did not trust Mr. Abu Torabi Fard, but heard his discourse and arguments: "You have fulfilled your duty and God will preserve your reward. From now and on behave yourselves and do not provoke the Iraqis. Because you are the assets of the revolution and you shall remain healthy to return to Iran. If there is a religious problem arising from drudgery for Iraqis, I will undertake its responsibility ,thus, you may accept the offer of Iraqis. What you have spiritually achieved is even greater than what the [[clergymen]] of the seminary might attain after 20 solid years of purging their inner selves and this assurance I give you with the utmost certainty. In captivity, we are all like runners who should reach the finishing line together. If someone falls back and is out of breath, you can't say I want to keep going ahead. If he is lagging behind, you are to blame , do you not agree that many people have become too exhausted to carry on in these four months, and many who are now on the other side of the camp, could have still been with us. Do not let the enemy divide you. And now the blockwork has stopped. This is not helping the oppressor. The blockwork will be used merely for the construction of buildings. We are too far from the frontlines, and you may rest assured that the blockwork will not be utilized for trenching. So what we can do the best is doing the blockwork and at the same time spreading our Islamic propagandas. "<ref>"The secret of the unity of captives at the side of the Lord of Captives” incorporated into the Holy Defense News Agency on August 25<sup>th</sup>, 2014 [https://defapress.ir (https://defapress.ir)] quoting from Jame Azadegan website.</ref>

In this way, the captives were convinced and started with the blockwork the next day. Meanwhile, Mr. Abu Torabi Fard himself picked up the shovel and began the work. With the completion of each blockwork, the captives let out a loud salutation (addressing the members of the Holy [[Family]]) and then recited the Quranic verse "Wajl Farajham wa Ahlak Adaham wa Id Imam al-Khomeini wa Ansar Jiyush al-Muslimin".

The commander of the camp, after hearing the motto involving Imam Khomeini, again resorted to Mr. Abu Torabi Fard and said to him:<blockquote>"If an Iraqi prisoner in Iran speaks in favor of Saddam and wishes him victory and well-being, what will your government do with him? Do they allow him to do this or punish him? When you use Khomeini's name in this way, what justification and explanation should I give to the higher authorities?"</blockquote>Then Mr. Abu Torabi Fard spoke to the captives thus:<blockquote>" In his speech the colonel mentioned Imam`s name preceded by the title Seyyed whereas he said Saddam`s name without any titles. In my opinion, what the colonel said, made sense. So I got his permission to gather the captives together and speak to them, and he granted the permission. "<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>It was agreed that from that time onwards the captives would not salute the members of the Holy Family aloud in the yard. . A week later, the Iraqis issued a new order according to which captives didn`t have to do the blockwork unless they themselves volunteered to do so. After that, the problems were largely resolved, the doors of rooms stood open and life began to stir in them again.

== See also ==

* [[Captivity and captives]]
* [[Prisoners of War Administration Commission|Prisoners]]
* [[Musel camp 2]]
* [[Important events of Musel camp 2]]
* [[Goodbye Mr. Chairman (book)]]

== Bibliography ==