Family

The problems of the captive family in facing captivity.

The term Family refers to the household or members of a lineage and it is the smallest social group in human community which includes parents and children and sometimes close relatives such as grandfather, grandmother, daughter-in-law and son-in-law .

Family and captives

Unfortunately when soldiers get killed or die martyrs, their descendants and generally war survivors will be prone to many a trauma and social problem, and this per se is assumed as a factor deterring a war from starting. (→Mental illnesses) But in the culture of jihad and martyrdom, this inhibition did not exist and most of the families and survivors remembered the martyrdom of their child or spouse with pride and were patient with their death, and this quality was one of the strengths of the Iranian nation enabling them to keep fighting back with Iraqis so bravely in the face of all problems.

The importance of the prisoners' relationship with the family

Loneliness and other anxiety-causing factors such as confinement, torture, lack of news from the country and family, and unknown fate created difficult and complicated conditions for prisoners of war. During the period of captivity, knowing about the fate of other captives, and knowing about the family situation, being informed of the internal currents of the country and how things were going at the frontlines, mitigated the worry and confusion of the captives and revived the spirit of resistance in them. Therefore, efforts should be made in every possible way to establish this connection and obtain news

How families found out about the captivity of their household members

There were two types of captivity in Iraq: prisoners whose names were registered in the Red Crescent and Red Cross lists and were officially considered captives and had rights such as writing and sending letters to their families, etc. The Iraqi regime, however, not only disregarded the articles of international law, but also ,always wanted to circumvent the rules and regulations which were supposed to benefit war captives and prisoners. Another type were the captives who were locked up in secret camps away from the eyes of international observers and whose names were not recorded in the lists of the Red Crescent and the Red Cross. Lacking blankets and facilities, they were in a chaotic and pathetic situation. Many died of illnesses and severe injuries in front of their friends and were buried in unmarked graves and their families never learned what became of them.

The group that was not registered in the Red Cross list was missing and there was no trace of them. The letters of those prisoners whose names were registered in the Red Cross list, due to the violation of international law by Iraq, reached their families with considerable delay probably after months.

The families were informed about the status of their captured members in different ways:

1. The names were announced on Baghdad radio and the news reached the family.

2. Iraqi TV showed pictures of the prisoners and friends and acquaintances informed the families.

3. A captive mentioned the name of another captive or his friend in his letter, and his family would be informed.

4. A captive was recognized by his fellow citizens in captivity and his family was informed.

5. A film fell into the hands of the family;they saw and approved of it and then , during correspondence with Iraq, the news of captivity was confirmed. (Site Caller) (the film in question belonged to the captive Tahir Izadi Mamsani)

There were also families who were quite unaware about the fate of their sons or fathers for years. The missing prisoners could not send their health news to Iran by letter, so their families knew nothing about their sweathearts until a few days before they arrived in Iran.

The methods of communication of prisoners with each other and families

A number of prisoners who was kept in secret camps sometimes came across registered prisoners and despite the strict protection of the guards, the names of dozens of these prisoners leaked out and the families were informed in different ways. The disclosure of these names and their announcement to the Red Cross, and in some cases the prisoners' strikes and riots, had saved the lives of dozens of missing prisoners. Such communications were made in the following ways and situations:

1. The patients, who were rarely sent from the camp to the hospital, exchanged information during transfer at short critical moments.

2. Some Red Cross forces assisted in the transfer of materials.

3. Iraqi officers and soldiers, who were transferred from one camp to another, were the carriers of important news or victims of information dump.

4. Texts written on a slip of paper and stuffed into capsules(pills) or letters that were hidden secretly in the transportation means of Iraqis.

5. Iraqi newspapers and their translation by the translation group at the War Propaganda Headquarters at that time.

6. TV news.

7. Radio which was forbidden, and yet sometimes it was procured from the headquarters of the Iraqi guards or from the front line and was used by the prisoners.

8. The newly arrived prisoners

The letter formed the main bridge between prisoners and families and was the most important tool of captives to exchange news and information.

The news that came from the family affected the morale of the prisoners. Political issues and war news from both sides were mostly expressed encoded . But there was always a risk that disclosure of information might lead to the persecution of prisoners.

Content of letters

There were many common topics in the prisoners' letters, of which one can mention the following:

1. Imam Khomeini as the leader and the source of hopes and the cause of maintaining the morale of the prisoners.

2. Islam and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.

3. Family attachments, longings for departure and hope of reunion of children, fathers, mothers and wives.

4. Messages of patience and resistance.

5. Indication to the countless crimes and atrocities of Iraqis.

Problems of prisoners/liberated captives and their families

The problems that accompanied the prisoner after his release involved the family as well. When the father of the family suffered from mental and physical problems, this issue became more important and sensitive, because the father of the family had two types of relationships: one with his children and the other with his wife. The type of relationship he had with his wife and children had a significant impact on their social behavior and relationships. Liberated captives and their families have suffered the most from the war. It can be said that their families (especially their children) have suffered even more than their fathers. During the captivity, when the father was not present in the family, the children suffered a lot and after the release of the father, they were confronted with his physical, mental, health, social and economic problems.

All kinds of problems

Each period of captivity (beginning, during and after captivity) had problems of its own. Captivity affected the entire life of the captive, and the lives of people who have gone through this period are completely different from others. Distance from family (from 6 months to 11 years) and creating distance in terms of thinking, lifestyle, interests, and goals made the father grapple with contrasts, and the cold family relationships kept the family members apart from each other, so that each member felt isolated and estranged. A number of prisoners, after their release, apart from mental and physical problems, suffered from behavioral problems and the inability to express their feelings, the inability to adapt themselves to the society, depression and the like.

Captivity had lowered their tolerance threshold

When the father was not present in the family (during captivity), economic problems appeared in one way, and after liberation in another way. The father with a lot of physical and mental problems such as organ defects or neurological and mental disorders failed to work like normal people and his family faced problems and the activities of the liberated captive did not meet the family's economic needs, which caused problems for the LC(liberated captive) and affected his emotional relationships with family members.

The topic of education and awareness of how to face problems could be an important factor in reducing the problems of the LC families. To what extent the LC was treated (treatment of depression, mental and physical problems, etc.), how much training he received to solve his problems (how to take medicine, and to deal with family members, etc.), how much the other members of family were informed in order to reduce the family tension, and how they interacted with each other to help solve the LC`s problems, all these issues have to be taken into account when it comes to education. Psychological protection is considered one of the most important functions in the LC`s family.

The LC`s economic status, the treatment process, employment status, how to spend free time and most importantly the support of the government and responsible bodies played an important role in the stability of the LC`s family and the performance of functions.

Solving problems and its impact on the family

Surveys show that the LC`s have a high level of awareness and about 70% of them are well aware of social rights, mental and physical problems, and the effects of captivity on the strength of the family, the need for psychological counseling, etc. One of the factors of the high level of awareness of the LC`s was self-improvement and adherence to religious values during the captivity. This adherence was also an important factor in the resistance of prisoners during this period. While enduring the tortures and sufferings, the captives performed religious duties and took part in cultural and social activities, and by acquiring job skills and learning Arabic, English, French, and other languages in those days of hardship they showed that by relying on God's eternal power and perseverance, one could turn the most unpleasant situations into his own advantage.

After liberation, in spite of various problems, the prisoners did not stop trying in different fields and started to acquire knowledge, employment and to participate in social activities. Many of them have been able to meet the economic and social needs of the family by drawing on the experiences, knowledge and skills they gained during captivity. In this way, these assets, obtained from the captivity, have played a significant role in reducing the problems of the LC`s.

See also

• Prisoners
• Letter Writing
• Informing the families of the prisoners

To read more

Ahmadzadeh, Mikael (1388). Camp 15, Tikrit. Tehran: Shahid Publishing House

Scafi, Mohammad Javad (2014). Years of captivity. first volume. Tehran: Scientific and Cultural.

Asgharinejad, Mohammad (2015). A smile from the butler's face. Qom: Pilgrim.

Amjadian, Mahmoud (1381). letters of captivity. Tehran: Surah Mehr.

Bozorg Mehranjad, Fath Ali (2014). Asir No. 3918. Yasouj: 3 Hard: Farhang Mana

Beheshti, Morteza (1379). Hadith of Yahya Tehran: Payam Azadegan.

Pirhadi, Mahmoodreza (1390). Through high walls. Varamin: Sahib al-Zaman AJ cultural science.

Jafari, Qasim (1377). Mirrors of resistance and affection. Tehran: Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Jafari, Mojtaba (1375). Hell of Tikrit. Tehran: Surah Mehr.

Chaldavi, Ahmed (2012). Eleven. Qom: Maarif Publishing.

Khoshzad, Akbar (1391). joyful captivity Tehran: Al Ahmad.

Rasouli, Bahman (1389). From dream to reality. Tehran: Fakhr al-Islam

Zain al-Abidin, Massoud (2012). Gathering is prohibited. East Azerbaijan: Surah Mehr.

Caller's website, captivity news pamphlet, page 12.

Abdullahi, Sarfaraz (2004). Qunut in a cage. Tehran: Nasim Hayat.

Alidost Qazvini, Ali (2015). Aber Fayyaz Qom: Arsh Andisheh.

Karmi, Hossein (2009). The third camp. Tehran: Payam Azadegan.

Research group and authors of research office (1375). Memories of the captives' family. Tehran: Headquarters for handling the affairs of freedmen.

Mohammadi, Abdullah (1385). Thirst and knowledge. Ardabil: Bagh Andisheh.

Neiri, Hossein (2006). little big man Tehran: Surah Mehr.

Zahra Yazdinejad