When Batoul Hosseini came to Tehran from Kerman five months ago, it was cold. The body of his son Behnam was taken to Loghman Hospital by unknown soldiers (Islamic Republic oppressive agents). Loghman was told to say: No visitation allowed! The mothers of other children also came to Loghman that night. They sat on the bench next to Behnam’s mother. One of them was Saeed Zeinali‘s mom.
She had come from 22 years ago; From July 9, 1999. Akram said: “Behnam’s mother, you can’t believe it, her bones are screaming from pain. This pain belongs to all mothers; every single mother from 1979 until today.” Saeed’s mother spoke of the days she came from: “I was alone then. There were a few of us. Fereshteh Alizadeh’s mother, may God bless her soul, she died. She was with me.”
Akram Neghabi is one of the few people who saw Freshteh’s mom, suffered her pain and has survived. Fereshteh, the girl who, at the last glance from behind the iron fence of Hezbollah’s (1) repression van which took her that day and flogged her so hard with wire that Haddad, a judge at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, ordered her to be taken to Evin prison after the wounds of torture disappeared; Fereshteh, the girl who died that day in the torture chamber of Hezbollah and was ascended to the “ascension”(2) headquarters to be buried alone in Khavaran, and her soul… Fereshteh’s mother died of her daughter’s grief and broken heart six months later.
The word “Rouh”(3) – soul – in Persian is derived from “Rih” – wind, breath -, it is Hebrew and it means wind, hence: “it is blown into the body”, “it flies”, “it gives life”. Or, like Fereshteh (angel), it blows every year on July 9th. It sets on fire. It becomes “wind of fire”. Or with Behnam’s mother, like “Lavar”(4), it gets up from Kerman deserts and sits on a bench in front of Loghman – waiting for the grieving mothers, mothers of sigh, to come from July 9, from Khavaran, Fereshteh Alizadeh and Saeed Zeinali, with Shirpisheh and Ahmadi from November 2019 and with Shahnaz from Karimbeigi and from 2009.
Translation of this post by Sahar.
1: Hezbollah refers to the only party in Islamic Republic, meaning “party of God”, which is a reference to the followers of the Supreme Leader.
2: Meraj: In Islam, it is a physical and spiritual journey by Mohammad in the year 621. It is believed that he rode his donkey to heavens in one night. When a Muslim dies, they say he/she ascended to heavens!
3: Rouh in Persian means soul, in Hebrew is nefesh, neshamah
4: Lavar is a local seasonal wind in Kerman and its surrounding deserts, it is hot like fire.
