TEHRAN – Veteran Seyyed Abolfazl Kazemi, whose memories of the 1980-1988 war were published in “Naqqash’ha Alley”, died on Monday at his home in Tehran after suffering from a chronic illness. He was 66.

His death was reported by several Persian news websites, which gave no details about his illness.

Kazemi was buried in Tehran’s Behesht Zahra Cemetery on Wednesday. 

After the war broke out, Kazemi joined volunteers, fighting against separatists in the Kordestan region in battalions commanded by Asghar Vesali, Mostafa Chamran, Qasem Dehbashi and Mohammad Borujerdi.  

He was a close friend of Vesali, the leader of Dastmal Sorkhha, an Iranian guerilla group that joined Mostafa Chamran, the chief of the Iranian volunteers, in fighting a war against the separatists in the early 1980s.

After being captured by the separatists, he was on the verge of execution. However, miraculously, he was released.

Kazemi returned to the frontline and was selected as the commander of Meisam Battalion, taking part in several operations, including Operation Karbala 5 and Operation Karbala 8. He suffered serious injuries, however, he never left the frontline until the end of the war in 1988 when he left military life.

Author Raheleh Saburi spent a year finding Kazemi to write his memories of the war in “Naqqash’ha Alley”, which was published by Sureh-Mehr in 2010.

The book’s title refers to the name of an alley in Tehran where Kazemi lived all his life.  

The book features 66 hours of the author’s dialogue with Kazemi, who spoke in Lutis’ slang.

Luti in the title of the collection refers to a Persian term with a variety of meanings, with both positive and negative connotations, but primarily to dervishes and entertainers who were on the fringes of society.

Saburi remained loyal to the modest dialect to allow readers to relate to the book. In addition, unfamiliar phrases were described in the footnotes.

The information in the book has been confirmed by copies of documents and pictures published in appendices.

“Naqqash’ha Alley” was named the Sacred Defense Book of the Year in 2011 in the verbal memories section.

Photo: A combination photo shows a picture of veteran Seyyed Abolfazl Kazemi on the frontline and the front cover of his book “Naqqash’ha Alley”.

MMS/YAW