Massoumeh Abad

Massoumeh Abad was born in the working neighborhood of Pirouzabad, Abadan on the 14^th of Shahrivar 1341. Her father, Taleb, was an oil company worker. Her primary education was at the Mahasty Elementary School, middle school at Shahrzad School and high school at Dr. Mosafegh High School in Abadan.

During the final years of her high school she joined the revolutionary activities. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, she accepted the responsibility of the Islamic High School Association: “In Farvardin 1358, the command of construction jihad was issued by the Imam. We called the next exhibition “Jihad and Wheat Exhibition” , so that we could lead the people to jihad and wheat self-sufficiency. Both exhibitions were held at the Fath Kanoun (The Center of Islamic Association of High Schools and Oil Faculty). The center had become my second home. All the meetings of managers of Islamic Associations of High Schools and Islamic Association of Oil Company were held there (Abad, 1394: 99).

Her presence in the orphanage led to her membership in the Red Crescent Organization. In the early days of the war, despite all disagreement of her father and brothers she stayed in Abadan and went to the oil company hospital to help the injured people. But her mind was preoccupied with the orphan kids. All arrangements were made and the kids were moved to Shiraz. On the 23^rd of Mehr 1359, while they returned from Shiraz, on Mahshar Road – Abadan she and Shamsi Bahrami (→ Bahrami, Shamsi) were captured by Iraqi forces.

The next day, they were taken to Tanumeh and were locked up in a room. Fatemeh Nahidi (→ Nahidi, Fatemeh) was another Iranian prisoner who was locked up in that room too. On 26^th of Mehr, Halimeh Azmoudeh (→ Azmoudeh, Halimeh) was added to their group of three and then they were taken to al-Rashid prison in Baghdad and interrogated. She told us about the way they communicated with other prisoners: “The left cell (prisoners) knocked on the door and called the guard. When the door was opened we went behind the door immediately. We heard they were saying loudly that we didn`t know the order of alphabet. We thought they might be our Arabic compatriots. Because when the doctor came, they spoke Arabic so well. Also, we conjectured that they might have no formal education. We remembered the creative work of that brother who told us the names of his friends with poems and songs under the pretext of singing songs. Because the guards were used to us praying three times daily and had accepted that, we started to recite the “Amn Yajib” Prayer, of course, instead of praying, we read out the letters of the alphabet with the same tone and pitch. Because of being untimely and repeated several times, the guard opened the gate angrily and said: “What? How often do you have to say prayers?” Just to show to him that he could not easily intimidate and insult us, we read it out once more. When it was over, they tapped on the right wall where they had learned the alphabetical order: “A woman rocks the cradle with one hand and the world with the other.” (the same: 270 – 271).

They changed their cells. They communicated with the neighboring cell. The pilot Mohammadreza Labiby was in the next-door cell. They introduced themselves to him. The pilot whom the reporters broadcast his picture and couldn’t hide from the International Red Cross, he informed the Red Cross of the situation of four Iranian girls in captivity.

The pilot Mohammadreza Labiby remarked about this: “After they moved me from the proximity of the sisters and introduced me to the Red Cross, I brought their situation up in my first meeting. A delegation from the World Red Cross headed by a Swiss man named Himan, whom we called “Human”, came to see me. Human told me during the meeting: “We should have visited you once you got captured and informed your family about your health and we are so sorry about that. I said: “You should apologize to those four girls who have been imprisoned in cramped, dark cells for almost a year and this, the Iraqi government has been trying to keep dark from mass media (the same: 307).

Masomeh Abad opened her eyes in a hospital bed: “The next morning which was the nineteenth day of our hunger strike, some reporters came to us with their cameras and recorders and said: “You wanted to be in touch with your families and inform them. Now we are here to interview you and to relieve your families from worry. Just announce the date of captivity in interview and put the past behind and forget it. It’s just important that you’re here now. I said: “No. We just speak to the Red Cross , so that what we say will be registered by them. They are the only people who can inform our families about us.”

Masomeh Abad and three other girls were introduced to the Red Cross at the Alrashid Hospital and pictures of her and Shamsi Bahrami were sent to Iran. They were transferred from hospital to Mosel camp and after a while they were taken to Anbar camp.

Masomeh Abad with three other girls were brought back to Iran by the Red Cross after three years and four months of captivity in Bahman 1362. The war was still going on. While getting educated at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvas, settled at Emam Khomeiny Hospital and started curing and taking care of injured people in times of need. Along with her studies, she became the head of the war wounded overseas clinic from 1363, and this position continued until 1368. In 1368, she received her midwifery degree from Iran University of Medical Sciences. She continued her studies in the field of maternal and child health until she got her master from Iran University of Medical Sciences and then obtained her doctorate in reproductive health from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran.

Martyrdom of her brother Ahamd, dated 1/11/1365 and her father death dated 17/3/1370 are the other events in her life.

After the end of the war, overseas clinic for the war wounded was closed. On 29^th of Mehr in 1368, she married Seied Safar Salehi and has three daughters now. She has been the head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Najmieh Hospital in Tehran since 1370, a position held by her until 1377 , and she has been teaching at the Faculty of Health at the same time. Along her activities she founded Buruj Cultural Institute in 1380 and wrote the best- seller entitled “I’m alive”. This book is her memoirs from the time of captivity and is decorated with the praise of the Supreme Leader.

See also I’m alive

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