Books and reading
How to obtain books during captivity and restrictions on its use.
Reading books in one`s leisure is one of the enjoyable pastimes for the general public. For those who are in captivity, this pleasure increases; Because reading books makes the hardships of captivity more tolerable. Books were a less accessible means for prisoners of the war imposed on Iran in Iraqi camps; Especially for prisoners who had not been registered by the International Red Cross. Prisoners used to get books to raise their level of thinking. They made small pages from the white ribbons of newspapers that often came to the camp , from the wrapping paper of cigarette packets, or from the cardboard of washing powder cans and provided them to people who had something to say to others; for example those who had memorized the Qur'an, Nahj-ol--Balagheh, Sahifah Sajjadiyyah, Mafatih prayers or poems, university students or graduates , or those who had some knowledge that once set down on paper, could benefit others a lot. Sometimes they asked the representatives of the Red Cross for certain books, which they brought to them under particular conditions. The Iraqis did not give any other materials to the prisoners except their newspapers and the books and magazines of the Mojahedin-e- Khalq organization and sometimes the books containing the text of Saddam's speech about the war.
The importance and influence of the book
During captivity, books were very important to prisoners, and the books they prepared with their own hands were much more valuable. Because their papers were sewn together and covered with great pains and suffering. Reading books informed the prisoners and increased their patience and tolerance in the face of the pressures imposed on them by the Iraqis. On the other hand, by being aware of the surrounding situation and receiving new and up-to-date information, they took on a more thoughtful outlook on their surroundings , and this was a means to prevent the captives from being lured by the Mojahedin-e-khalgh organization, which did extensive propaganda in the camps to recruit new members and encourage a larger number of captives to apply for political asylum.
Seyyed Nasser Hosseinipour, in his book "The Foot left behind” spoke thus:
Today, the Iraqis distributed the books and pamplets of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization among the detention centers. For the first time in Camp 16, books were available to us. Most of the books and periodicals were back to years ago and were rotting in the warehouses of this organization. When the head of the detention center entered the detention center with a pile of old books and publications, I said to him: I wish you would tell them, instead of all these books, they would give each detention center a volume of the Quran. I had a chance to pluck the last blank pages of the books and make a pocket notebook with them.. I started reading books and periodicals from noon; both out of idleness and curiosity. Some Hezbollah members said: Don't read the books and give them back, reading such things is forbidden. I said to one of them: Do not issue a fatwa. Go and read their books to better understand their wickedness. I wanted to see what they had to say. I read the Truth weekly, and I found everything in it, except the truth! Iran Nameh magazine, which was managed by Ashraf Pahlavi, and Rah –e-Zendegy (Life-style) and Rahavard (Souvenir) magazines were mailed from the airports of the United States of America to Al-Rashid Airport in Baghdad. What they attacked most of all were the Islamic Revolution, the theocracy and the values of the Holy Defense" [1].
How Iraqis treated Iranian captives
The number of books legally available to prisoners was very limited, and often they were forced to divide the books and cover each part and give them to a group, away from the eyes of the Iraqis. Over time, these parts were passed from hand to hand in different sanatoriums and wards, and in this way all those who wanted to read a book, benefited from its reading to the full. The prisoners had to keep the books hidden from the eyes of the Iraqis during every inspection. If a book were found among the belongings of an individual, that person would be severely punished.
The role of the Red Cross in providing books needed by prisoners
One of the requests of the prisoners from the representatives of the Red Cross was books. In the book “Goodbye Mr Chairman”, Ali Alidost quotes thus:
A number of books was brought to the prisoners by the Red Cross. These books included novels, historical books, several volumes of English books and several volumes of Arabic books containing comprehensive lessons. The presence of these books in the camp gave a special boost to the programs and various classes formed based on them. The book of comprehensive lessons, which was an educational source for the students, and from it, they learned grammar and syntax... It was early 1985 that they brought twelve volumes of the Mufatih –ol-Jenan for the entire camp. We had asked the Red Cross many times, but no action had been taken hitherto. Now, after five years , some Mafatih books authored by Sheikh Abbas Qomi, which had been sent from Iran, reached our hands. We had to divide each volume of Mafatih into four parts, so that they could be used jointly between two or three rooms[2].
Propagandizing books
The Iraqis distributed the books and publications of the Mojahedin-e-Khalgh organization in the camps in order to attract prisoners and persuade them to apply for political asylum and discourage them from returning to Iran. The material included the Truth weekly , Mujahid weekly and even Irannameh magazine and books related to the monarchists like Gift of Bird etc. Some captives read them out of curiosity or to increase their level of knowledge and a small number of captives who found the hardships of captivity beyond their endurance, tended to be allured by what they read in those books, and in such cases, prisoners who had the ability to discuss and guide others, would prevent their compatriots from making wrong decisions by enlightening and informing them as much as possible. Studying these types of books and publications sometimes provided grounds for discussion and argument between prisoners.
Part of the prisoners' time was spent reading magazines and newspapers; including Arabic and English newspapers from time to time, and of course mainly after the establishment of a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq, they were distributed among the prisoners. Newspapers such as Al-Thurah, Al-Jomhurriya and Al-Ghadesyiah, which reflected all the developments of the war and the news of the fronts, reached the prisoners every day. Meanwhile, the prisoners who were fluent in Arabic or English languages played a significant role in translating the contents of the mentioned newspapers and presenting them to their friends.
See also
Bibliography
- ↑ Khaji, Ali (1391). Description of cages, prisoner of war camps. Tehran: Payam Azadegan.
- ↑ Abdul Hosseini, Soheila (2016). Goodbye Mr. Chairman. Tehran: Payam Azadegan.
Maryam Sadat Zekriyayee