Asadi: Our Historic Challenge is Our Lack of Dialogue

“Letters to my Torturer” is the title of a new memoir published in English by Houshang Asadi—author, journalist and a former political prisoner. The common experiences of Pahlavi prisons and the prisons of the current political system of Iran, and the presentation of the true story of the dark days in the dark years of the 1980s gives this book an enticement that goes beyond storytelling and writing memoirs. These characteristics have turned this memoir into a documentary of the conventional approach to political prisoners, throughout the contemporary history of Iran. Let us now ask Housahng Asadi a few questions about his book and hear his responses.

We begin with the English publication of this book. How were your memoirs of prison published in English and how did they become available in English speaking markets?

At first it was unintentional. Later, however, it became a matter of planning. Two years ago when I was writing my memoirs, I published parts of it on Rooz Online, parts that related to the time when I was imprisoned in a cell shared with Mr. Khamenei. In a short time, a publisher from London contacted me and expressed an interest in publishing this book. I remained in contact with the One World publishing company and our work resulted in a two year long project. It was during this time that I became familiar with the true concept and procedure of the professional publication of a book. It was only then that I realized how the absence of a book market in Iran is a tragedy—among other challenges. In a professional book market everything is strategically planned from the first moment until the very last. For an author like me, who is experiencing the publication of his first book in English and who has published four other books in Iran, it is inspiring to know that ten thousand copies of my book will be pre-sold and that Amazon.com publishes a link to it. It is as if you have left the cage of Iran where your book would have a thousand or so customers (readers) to fly in the global market.

I believe if readers compare the image of the Mr. Khameini of forty years ago in prison to that of today, she/he will see the radical impact of power on a human being.

Apparently this book will be the first memoir about the prisons of the 1980s in Iran and is the first of its kind in English. Is this correct?

Yes, this book is the first documented report published in English about the massive and bloody oppressions of a decade of fear in Iran. It was this same text that was able to make the voices of the victims of Iran’s 1980s heard by the rest of the world.

Are you planning to publish this book in Persian as well?

Yes, soon.

Now let us talk about the content of your book and your memories of prison. One of the most appealing parts of your book is the narration of your memories with some of the current leaders of the Islamic Republic; especially Ali Khamenei and the image that you present of him. The image that we see of him in your book is of a cleric, a spiritual, a learned man and a scholar well-versed in matters of culture and literature. Could you tell us more about the image that you portray of him?

You are right. Iranian and foreign readers find the part about my time with Mr. Khameini in the prison of the previous regime very appealing. Interestingly, this is only a small part of my book. It seems that the international fame of the leader of the Islamic Republic, especially after the events of June 2009, has meant many are curious to learn more about him.

How do last year’s events and Khamenei’s order to oppress the people match/mismatch with your memories in prison with him? How do you feel about the fact that you know him in person?

The story of having been a cellmate with Mr. Khamenei goes back to about forty years ago. Since this time the history of Iran has gone through a major transformation and Mr. Khamenei has gone from a prisoner to the leader of a country that has turned into the biggest prison for journalists. I believe if readers compare the two images of the Mr. Khameini of forty years ago in prison and of now, she/he will see the radical impact of power on a human being.

Now please tell us a bit about the prisons of the Islamic Republic. As someone who has been imprisoned in both contemporary periods of Iran could you tell us about what you think the similarities and differences are between the Pahlavi political prisons and the political prisons of the Islamic Republic?

The structure of the Islamic Republic has negatively gone above and beyond the prisons of the unjust regime of the Shah. The previous regime fell victim to its own tyranny. Frankly, one has to admit that in other aspects such as social, judicial, and even economics the previous regime benefited the people of Iran more; this was especially true in the case of the middle class that is the cradle of the main essences of democracy.  The revolution was supposed to put an end to tyranny. Alas, a semi-modern tyranny turned into a semi-religious tyranny. The prominent prison guards and torturers of the previous regime were at least employees that got their hands dirty with blood for the sake of earning an income. During that time we were political prisoners, which meant those who were against the political system of the time. In a religious tyranny we encounter torturers whose best kind are enamored with ideology and would consider us the enemy. I have written in my book about the prison guards who would take us (prisoners) to this and that place while blindfolded. They would even refrain from holding our hands as they would consider us Najes (unclean for our deeds against God). They would have us hold one end of a wooden stick and would hold the other end themselves. As a result of this view the prisons of the Islamic Republic have turned into some of the most terrifying prisons in the world and in comparison to these prisons the prisons of the previous regime seem like heaven!

All of the book is written in the format of a book to “Brother Hamid.” Who is he? Where is he? What does he do?

It seems that Brother Hamid, who is now among the retired ambassadors of the Islamic Republic, is not going to ever leave my life. Yes, as mentioned in the book he was generously kind to me for about three months. He went as far as making me eat my excrement! In the previous regime the prisoners were allowed to see their interrogators. When they would take us to the interrogation room, they would put a coat on our head and once in the room they would remove the coat. This way, prisoners would know their interrogators. Furthermore, after the revolution when these interrogators were arrested, the prisoners of the previous regime went and testified against them. The current regime, I do not know why, has only learned the bad aspects of the previous regime and would not even let their prisoners see their own interrogators. Brother Hamid, too, had the same style. However, as described in the book I was able to see him three times.

Many years went by and eventually I was released after six years. Finally, I had to leave the country. I began to write my bitter memories of prison a few times but I could not continue and finish. Eventually, the miracle of the internet showed me his image and I found out that his name is Naser Sarmaddi Parsi and was the ambassador of Iran to Tajisktan. You could see his photo on the weblog of the book < http://houasadi.wordpress.com/>. Maybe I was the first prisoner of the Islamic Republic who had seen his interrogator and knew his name. I am also the first prisoner of the world to write to his torturer. Letter means connection. In my letters I have spoken to my torturer politely and without wanting avenge. I believe that the historic challenge of our society is the lack of dialogue. This is why I have tried to open a door to dialogue. I hope I have succeeded.

Conversing with an author and a journalist inevitably takes one to the current events. Last year was one of the most eventful years of Iran’s history during which a popular movement was formed. Incidentally, one of the leaders of this movement is Mehdi Karrubi, one of your former cellmates.

After a historic period, Mehdi Karubi stood where he had stood forty years ago. Where we had stood during our youth: against tyranny. It is not only him. Many of those involved with the formation of the Islamic Republic and involved with it in the past thirty years are now imprisoned. And recently, one of them, Mr. Mostafa Tajzadeh, who was temporarily released from prison (for a few days) wrote a letter in which he converses with his interrogators. This means the repetition of my experience with the exception that I was always a stranger to this regime while he was—and still is—a critical figure in this political structure. I believe this is precisely the definition of the Green Movement. The Green Movement means that the spirit of freedom goes through the body and mind of the current political structure. The Green Movement means once more the twig of freedom from the cements of severe tyranny in Iran. I have no doubt that this twig will grow and continue make us proud!