Letters to My Torturer: Love, Revolution, and Imprisonment in Iran (42 page)

52
Mohammad Najibullah (1947–96) was the fourth and last president of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. A Kabul University graduate in medicine, Najibullah held various political offices as member of the Central Committee of the Parcham faction of the Communist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, member of the ruling Revolutionary Council, the Afghan ambassador to Iran, and the head of the secret police (KHAD) before replacing Babrak Karmal as president of Afghanistan in 1986. While in office, he introduced some constitutional reforms, including a multiparty political system and freedom of expression, but the 1987 Soviet withdrawal led to an escalation of the civil war in Afghanistan, which finally forced him to resign in 1992 to make way for a neutral interim government. Najibullah sought sanctuary in the UN compound in Kabul, where he lived for four years. Following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 1996, he was captured, brutally tortured and killed, and his body hung from a traffic light. Najibullah’s supporters refer to him as a “martyr”, while his opponents call him the “Butcher of Kabul” for the alleged murder of thousands of Afghans during his time as director-general of the State Information Service (KHAD).

53
Ayatollah Montazeri was very close to Ayatollah Khomeini and of a similar religious rank. He had been secretly chosen to become the next leader. When Khomeini was about to die from advanced cancer,
radicals in the government removed Montazari from power with the help of Khomeini’s son, Ahmad Khomeini, under the pretext of his opposition to the killing of political prisoners. Montazari, one of the oldest leaders of the Islamic Republic and a high-ranking theologian, was forced to spend the rest of his days under house arrest. He died in 2009, still protesting against the tyranny of the Islamic Republic.

54
Habibullah Foroughian was a member of the Tudeh Party’s Central Committee. He was in charge of preparations for secretly getting the Tudeh Party leaders out of Iran via Afghanistan.

55
Communist parties that supported the Soviet Union called themselves fraternal parties.

56
Manuchehr Behzadi is one of 1,000 people identified by name in a UN Human Rights Commission’s Special Representative’s Report, “Names and particulars of persons allegedly executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran during the period July–December 1988”, published on 26 January, 1989.

57
So nicknamed because Ayatollah Jawade Amolee, who taught ethics, gave very lengthy talks, speaking very slowly, sending his audience to sleep.

58
The first two are names of ancient kings of Persia, and the third one is the pen name of Ali Esfandiari, the founder of modern Persian poetry, rather than Islamic names with religious significance, such as Muhammad or Ali.

59
Islamic fundamentalists believe that communists and infidels are polluted and this pollution can be physically transmitted. However, if the body is dry, the transmission of pollution is not possible.

60
In Shia Islam, repentance is part of the theoretical framework, and no matter how many sins a person might have committed, the doors of repentance are open to them and they can return to God, asking for forgiveness. Interrogators would use various methods to force prisoners to repent and then they would either accept or reject the repentance as if they were God. To prove the authenticity of their repentance, prisoners were forced to do various things: to spy on others, lash others, and often they would fire the last shot or the
coup de
grâce
, killing their former companions or even family members, to prove their repentance.

61
Cucumber yoghurt is a Persian appetiser, often served while drinking alcohol.

62
The Ornament of the Righteous,
or
Hilyat al-Muttaqi
is a very popular book by Mulla Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (1628–1699), who became the most influential Shia scholar of his time. During his life, the ruling Safavid dynasty had transformed Shi’ism, making it Iran’s official religion, and this book is regarded as one of the most important reference books for Shia Muslims. It is a collection of traditions or hadith that are attributed, sometimes dubiously, to the Prophet Muhammad and Shia Imams, grouped by topic. The hadith offer advice on recommended customs and modes of behaviour, and can determine every aspect of a Shia believer’s life.

63
The prayer rug is a square or rectangular-shaped woven carpet, usually decorated with verses from the Qur’an. The Shias place the rug on the floor in preparation for prayers and put a prayer stone, a rectangular object, on top of the rug. When Shias pray, they kneel on the prayer rug and place their forehead on the prayer stone, uttering the required verses.

64
A prayer stone is usually made out of unbaked clay, to represent the humility of the owner, preferably taken from the vicinity of Mecca or one of the shrines to the Imams and martyrs of Shi’ism, foremost among which are the shrine of Imam Hussain at Karbala, Iraq and the shrine of Imam Riza in Mashhad, Iran. The prayer stone is placed on the prayer rug so that the forehead rests on it when one prays, thus conferring blessings on the worshipper. When the prayer is finished, they kiss the prayer stone, place it in the middle of the rug, and fold the rug with care and respect.

65
The creed is in Arabic and saying it amounts to conversion to Shia Islam. The Shia creed consists of the standard Muslim creed plus this verse: I bear witness that Ali is the friend of God.

66
Sheikh Fazlollah Noori was a prominent Shia Muslim cleric in Iran during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, who fought against the Iranian constitutional revolution and was executed for
treason. Today he is revered as a martyr (
shahid
) in the fight against democracy by Islamic conservatives in Iran.

67
In line with ancient Iranian traditions, which originated 2500 years ago, on New Year’s Eve, which is the last day of winter and the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, a table is set up and seven items, all beginning with the Farsi letter “seen”, or “s”, are placed on it. The items usually include a large, red apple, which is placed in a crystal bowl filled with water and then put in front of a mirror. Iranians believe that when the New Year arrives, the apple turns in the water. Similarly, a small goldfish is placed inside a separate crystal container filled with water. When Islam arrived in Iran, a copy of the Qur’an and a copy of Hafez’s poetry collection were added to the items. Iranians who are religious recite the Qur’an on New Year’s Eve, the rest read from Hafez’s poetry.

68
In earlier times, a cannon shot would be fired to announce the New Year and then traditional music would be played, using ancient instruments like the Saaz and Naqaara.

69
Kavah Golestan was a famous Iranian photojournalist who died after stepping on a mine while working for the BBC in Iraq in 2003.

70
These are aristocratic Persian names uncommon among practicing Muslims.

71
One of the titles of the twelfth Imam, sometimes referred to as the hidden Imam, whose return is eagerly awaited by Shia Muslims.

72
This phrase, “I ate shit”, has a double meaning, both the literal meaning and also, “I repent”. Here it is used in both its senses.

73
Ali Shamkhani was born in southern Iran and is of Arab descent. He was one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Guards Corps and later became commander of the navy. He was defence minister under Muhammad Khatemi.

74
The abbreviated form of Mashadi, designating someone who has visited the shrine of the eighth Imam, Imam Reza in Mashhad, northeast Iran.

75
Abdul Basit is an Arab famous for his Qur’an recitations.

76
A fatwa is an order issued by the most important ayatollahs, which is considered binding by their followers. In the case of this fatwa, bread
is regarded as sacred, and throwing it away is therefore viewed as a sin. Instead, it should be given to other living creatures such as birds.

77
Soon after their arrest, the Tudeh Party’s first secretary, Kianuri, along with all the important members of the Central Committee, appeared on television and confessed that the Party had been spying for the Soviet Union. The leaders were over sixty years of age and had undergone intense torture. The majority of them were hanged during the1988 mass killings.

78
A 1926 Soviet film by Vsevolod Pudovkin. Based on a novel of the same title by Maxim Gorky, the movie portrays a woman’s turbulent life during the Russian revolution of 1905.

79
Bahram Beyzaie’s critically acclaimed first feature film, made in 1971, depicts the life struggles of an intellectual and honest teacher in prerevolutionary Iran. In post-revolutionary Iran, Beyzaie has been under huge pressure due to his religious affiliation.

80
Imam Reza is the eighth Imam of the Shia Muslims, and his shrine is visited by 15 to 20 million pilgrims every year. It is a vast complex, including a university, museum, library, seminaries, vast prayer halls, and a cemetery.

81
In colloquial Persian, the “Blues” refers to Esteghlal Football Club fans, while the “Reds” stands for Persepolis Football Club supporters. The Tehran derby between these two popular football clubs and archrivals is the biggest football match in Asia.

82
The Peykar (Struggle) Organization was formed in 1979 from a Mujahedin splinter group. It advocated the total separation of the religious establishment from the state. In 1982, several Peykar leaders were arrested, and the organization was disbanded.

83
After the revolution, the Islamic Republic censored the chapter dealing with sexual questions.

84
The loans office is a type of Islamic private bank set up by an Islamic organization with a focus on small investments.

85
The Jafar Tayyar prayer consists of a lengthy form of prayer that the very religious perform after the night prayers. It sometimes extends throughout the night.

86
According to instruction books published by the Islamic Republic,
the Kumayl prayer was taught by Imam Ali to Kumayl, one of his close companions, hence its name. According to Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, the author of
The Ornament of the Righteous
, the prayer should be performed at night in the middle of the Sha’ban month, or every Thursday night, to protect one from the evils of the enemy and to seek forgiveness for one’s sins.

87
A Shia cultural and religious tradition is to cry and grieve for the coming of the twelfth Imam, who is believed to be in occultation.
Nudbah
means to mourn and cry for the dead and to praise them.

88
Hadith are the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (and, in Shia Islam, also from the Shia Imams) that have been handed down orally before being collected and written down by several Muslim scholars. They are regarded as important tools for understanding the Qur’an and questions of Islamic law.

89
Taking a bath here refers to the religious, ritualistic bathing procedure that precedes and follows intercourse and is accompanied by a specific set of prayers.

90
This is the last of the five daily prayers Muslims perform from dawn till dusk.

91
The word used in the original manuscript is
monafeq
, meaning a twofaced, conniving person. Following the Islamic revolution,
monafeq
was used to refer to members of Mujahedin-e Khalq.

92
Peech-e Tobah, or Repentance Turn, is the name of the road that leads down to Evin Prison. It is very steep and has a sharp bend. Lajevardi, the cold-hearted butcher of Evin, boasted that every time prisoners reached the bend, the fear they felt made them repent immediately.

93
Haqqani’s circle is composed of hardline clergymen based in the holy city of Qom and led by Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, a prominent theologian who is believed to exert a huge influence over President Ahmadinejad. The group derives its name from the Haqqani Seminary, established in 1964, whose graduates occupy key political and security positions in Iran today. Haqqani alumni are known for their radical political activism grounded in a messianic belief in the imminent return of the Mahdi, the twelfth Imam in Shi’ism.

94
According to Shia religious instruction, if a man is sporting a moustache, he must cut it short to prevent the moustache from getting wet when drinking liquids.

95
Collective prayers are performed together in unison, and one of the people in the group leads the prayer. Shias believe that those who pray collectively will receive greater rewards than those who pray individually.

96
The punishment for insulting Imam Ali sometimes includes hanging.

97
Jihad is an Arabic term meaning voluntary, holy struggle or war, including both physical war and the internal spiritual war to improve oneself. The block was named with the second definition in mind.