An interview with Fateme Behbudi, author of the book ''Those with Red Boots''

One of Bashiri's memoirs' strengths is the story of the interrogation sessions with the Iraqi forces. Sometimes, through these memories, you'll read intersting and peculiar  things about incidents during the imposed war.

What exactly is the focus of your book? Does it have a basis in reality?

The book's topic is psychological warfare and the fact that combatants don't always fire their weapons at one another but instead occasionally employ psychological warfare tactics to sway the enemy's ideology, values, norms, beliefs, and motivations. The documentary "Those with Red Boots" explores Mr. Morteza Bashiri's recollections of his time as the officer of the psychological war that raged between Iran and Iraq from 1985 until the end of the war.

In comparison to other books, what distinguishes "Those with Red Boots"? And the feedback, how was it?

In this book, we discover the lives of high-ranking Iraqi army prisoners held in Iran and how they passed their captivity in our country. And thankfully, the book has its own readers who really enjoyed it, which makes me incredibly happy. 

* How long did it take to write the book and complete the entire process?

It took about a year to interview him and write this book, but it took a while to be released. It was finally published in August 2017 and, like any documentary work, it underwent verification.

What qualities and elements, in your opinion, can define a good diary and memoir?

As a part of this nation's history, written memories are significant, but what's more crucial is how they are written, particularly when using storytelling techniques that make the memories more enjoyable. It can also be helpful to use the element of characterization, and it's essential that the text is coherent.

What key message does the book convey to today's generation?

"Those with Red Boots" serves as a good reminder that conversation takes precedence over fighting in foreign policy and that war is more complicated than just shooting and firing. We also wish for the abolition of all wars.

Source:Tehran Times