Narrated by Yalda Moaiery, from day Kaveh Golestan died
Seyyed Kaveh Taghavi Shirazi, born on July 8, 1950 in Abadan and previously on April 2, 2003 in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, known as Kaveh Golestan, was an Iranian news photographer, documentary filmmaker and cinematographer.
According to Artmag.ir, today, 13th of Farvardin (July 8), is anniversary of death of Kaveh Golestan, in Kifri city of Iraq.
Kifri is a city in Diyala Province, Iraq.This city is center of Kafri city and is located 184 km south of Sulaymaniyah at the foot of Baba waraswar Mountain (in Kurdish and Arabic: Baba waraswar).
Kaveh Golestan was killed by a landmine on April 2, 2003, during a filming mission for BBC on front lines of the US-Iraq war, in the border town of Kafri, 130 km from Kirkuk in Iraq, which is controlled by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
Below is memory of Yalda Moaiery, a famous Iranian photographer and photojournalist, in describingday of Kaveh Golestan’s death.
Yalda Moaiery began her career at age of 19, covering war in Afghanistan.Since then, his main activities had focused on war and natural disasters around the world. She had appeared in various international publications, including Time, Newsweek, and several other European publications.
“My visit to Iraqi Kurdistan in midst of the US war with Saddam Hussein’s regime was second serious experience of war photography after the war in Afghanistan. No money, no experience, no professional camera, no bulletproof vest and no uniform.I had gone to my school coat!) I had been in the area and I had almost nothing but a passionate series about photography!
My first meeting with Kaveh Golestan was at Sulaimaniyah Palace Hotel, where I went forward with fear and trembling and introduced myself.
I said: Hello Mr. Golestan!I am Moaiery.He said: Yes, Ms. Yalda Moaiery, I have seen your photos of Afghanistan!
I fluttered my wings in joy!Kaveh Golestan knew me!We chatted briefly and it was decided that I would show him my photos in his spare time.
The pattern of work in these areas was such that we usually all rushed to the same point when something happened.So the same thing happened on the thirteenth day.
The Ba’athist regime had abandoned positions in infidel area and all photographers and journalists were in that area.
We arrived in the area with Ali Khaliq (who was working for the UPIA news agency at the time), it was a large plain and spring vegetables added to its beauty.For us, who could not afford to rent a car daily, it was not possible to enter the area, so we did a strange thing and he rode a motorcycle, which I do not know why he knew Persian fluently! We wanted to take us to heart of region. The motorcyclist said that he could not ride the two of us, so he took me first and then he came and rode Ali. He unloaded me behind a small hill and left. An explosion happened near me at the same time! I found out that the Ba’athists have not left the positions completely yet!
I remember lying on ground and my hand was shaking, the photos I took there were all blurred!I remember thinking to myself that I was too young to die!I missed my family and swore to God, His Majesty, to get me out of there safe and sound.In the middle of road I saw news groups rushing to the plains with fast land cruises and I was jealous!
Nobody told us that area was mined by the Ba’athists and we were only worried about explosions and shootings.
It was four o’clock in the afternoon and I was in the city when I heard the news of Kaveh Golestan’s landmine. The first question of all was: was the area mined ?!
We rushed like lightning to hospital where Kaveh was, we still thought he was alive.
I remember insisting on going in with my colleagues, but I thought about it because of poor condition of the body.
Mohammad Ali Qayyumi, a reporter for News Network, announced news without mentioning Kaveh Golestan (because even mentioning his name was forbidden in National TV) And another flood of phone calls began.I still remember the startled look of myself and my colleagues and screams of Newsha Tavakolian from inside car.
I did not believe news until we arrived at hotel, but the loud cries of Iranian team (reporters present at the hotel), red eyes and black clothes made me realize that news was true.
That night at hotel, we all sat around the table in Iran, knowing that this could have happened to any of us.
Kaveh Golestan was there like the head of team and the flagship of Iranian journalists.It was as if we were all orphaned when he left.I told my mother on the phone: Kaveh Golestan is gone! She said: The same gentleman who was happy to encourage you?!I said yes!And burst with greed!In those days, it was not customary to take a selfie, even taking pictures of elders wanted to be superficial!That’s why I do not have a photo of Kaveh.After that, many people encouraged me in my work, but the man who encouraged me for first time was gone!
