Saturday, August 23, 2014

Memories of war

A man and child flee the scene of a 1982 bombing raid in Dezful, Iran. Photograph: Seifollah Samadian


“Despite the daily carnage, Dezful residents faced the war with resilience, even humor. Despite the proximity of Iraqi forces, the city was never occupied, and became a model of civilian resistance. My own uncle’s home was demolished during a nighttime air raid in the early 1980s. Known for his well-groomed appearance and carefully ironed shirts, he emerged from the wreckage bloody and bruised. When his neighbors spotted him and inquired about his tattered clothes, he replied: “I didn’t know that in Khomeini’s Iran, a man should wear a suit and tie to bed so that he looks presentable if they find him dead the next morning.”

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