Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – February 29, 1988

I woke up first thing in the morning. It was raining heavily and a lot of water was entering from the roof of the camp. They had placed containers so that water does not go under the blankets and people. I had not slept for more than two hours.

After prayer and breakfast, we sat down with camp commanders to conclude the negotiations last night. We came to the conclusion that the Taliban and our forces who have gone to their area must resist and prevent the occupation of the Taliban positions by the Iraqi army, so that our operations can be carried out and we can connect to the area through the road.

The meeting lasted until eleven o'clock and it was decided that a limited operation would be carried out before the main attack. It was reported from the Taliban region that they want to send women and children to Iran, to be safe from the chemical bombing and Iraqi artillery fire. I agreed and said not to encourage them to come and not to prevent them from coming.

At eleven o'clock we left for Baneh. It was raining and the snow was melting. Everywhere the side rivers flowed towards the main river "Chuman". Chuman river had also overflowed. Some bridges were in danger of collapsing. On the Choman-Baneh road, there is a high risk of mountain falls and avalanches, and the transportation and logistics of the front face problems, but the cloudiness of the weather provides adequate cover against the enemy's air attacks to the forces that are scattered throughout the region.

We reached Bane at two o'clock in the afternoon. Lunch, rest and news from Tehran and other places took our evening time. In the first night, they reported that there were bombardments in four places in Tehran, but the defense officials say that they did not see an airplane and the radar did not register anything. An hour later, they reported that three places in Tehran were bombed again. Usually, whenever the Baathists are under pressure in the front, they do such evils. Many people think that the missile is from a distance.

The commander of the Baneh Corps informed that the dervishes of Qadirieh Baneh have a program of extraordinary shows in a mosque as usual. I told them to bring a group of them to see their show. Because we had already found out, we stayed in Baneh tonight to see their works, and we chose the reading room of the Sepah Building as the venue and participated in the ceremony with our companions. I thought it was interesting, spectacular and extraordinary, and we took a video.

About fifteen people from Qadiriyeh dervishes, including old and young people, some with long hair and some with short hair, gathered. First, they recited a number of prayers with circles and movements of heads and bodies. Little by little, he started standing fast and dance-like movements, and then strange things were done.

For example, several of them chewed glass and razor blades and swallowed Kalash bullets and claimed that they were absorbed by their bodies and not expelled. The sharp tips of two daggers were driven into one person's head with a hammer. I tried to pull it out with my hand, but I couldn't. One of them was sticking his tongue on the hot stove and the sound of saliva boiling was heard. The door was inserted on one side and the door was opened on the other side. One of them put a cap inside his mouth and it came out from under his throat. With a sharp sword, they pressed on one's neck from the back and front and did such things.

They finally recognized me and I talked to a few of them. They claim that they perform all their religious duties with forgiveness, dhikr, and the guidance of a mentor. One of them said that he was a teacher and unfortunately he was purged. I said to handle it.