A strange and thought-provoking account of Nik Ahang Kowsar, from the story of the Caricature

Mortazavi put the interrogation sheet in front of me: write that you mean Mr. Misbah by the crocodile. If you express regret, I will lighten your sentence.

I said: I drew a cartoon character like a pink panther, but a panther that does not shed crocodile tears. The crocodile is crying. I also drew a crocodile!

He said: You drew your caricature based on the words of Mr. Misbah who said that someone from the CIA came with a big suitcase full of dollars to buy journalists against Islam!
I said: No, I drew this during the debates of the fifth parliament for the press law. I didn't do it then, I did it now.

He said: Bulbul, don't talk, I have the knowledge of a judge, did you mean Mr. Misbah?!
I said: Excuse me, the judge has not tried yet. How do you decide who I meant? nope, I mean a fictional cartoon creature that sheds crocodile tears, and because only crocodiles shed crocodile tears, I drew a crocodile!

Mortazavi was angry. He put his key in his ear and started walking. He scratches all over his body. He was walking in the room... he went to the corner of the room and started calling this and that with his cell phone.

When he called the Chief Justice of Tehran, he straightened himself and said: Haj Agha, she is hiding.

Then he came and heroically sat behind his desk and called for the officers to come.

He said: "You don't confess here... you open your mouth in Evin."
A rank officer and a soldier came and sat down

Mortazavi drew the question paper and wrote questions again.
I also answered so wildly that there is no limit. I haven't written so much nonsense since the fourth high school Islamic studies exam when I quoted Haliya al-Mutaqeen instead of answering the questions!

Mortazavi, unsatisfied with my answers, started his threats... his eyes were half closed and he felt powerful.
I was sure that I would rot in prison and not even remember my family.

The interrogation lasted three hours. He brought a sheet for me to fill again and every time he got angrier. He went to scratch the corner of his room again, this time he put his hand in his nose and then he scratched his back and I think he put the same finger in his mouth.

The threats were getting worse and worse. Scary.
He shouted: You published lies and endangered the national security and made the country critical!

I said: Those few thousand people who closed the seminary have endangered national security by publishing lies about my cartoon! I did not mean Haj Agha Misbah, they have committed wrongdoing and lied that they mean Haj Agha Masbah! Why don't you take them? He said, "How many thousands of scientists are wrong and you are right?"

My pulse was high. I didn't have my heart pill with me.

He said: "In Evin, they will tease you about who gave you the subject. Israel or America. Then it becomes clear who is behind the story. You have also become a tool. You rot."

I tried not to hear. I knew that if I say the slightest thing, I will be accused of espionage and I have to admit that I took the subject from ten spy organizations to disrupt the elections of the sixth parliament of the country!
They handed me over to Evin's guard before the Maghrib call to prayer.
...

Two years later, in Bahman 80, I had gone to the Abrar Economic newspaper to deliver my cartoon to the editor. The editor was watching the cartoon when we saw Daniel Pearl on TV. I knew both Daniel and the editor. In the summer of 1978, we were sitting in the office of another newspaper with the editor and Daniel and we were chatting.

Al-Qaeda allies in Pakistan had taken Daniel, the Wall Street Journal reporter, hostage. I was very worried about Daniel. Our last contact was in the fall.

The editor said: Do you know that the story of the dollar suitcase that Misbah talked about in several places, including during the Friday prayer, and you went to jail for it, was actually Daniel's suitcase?

The editor said: "That year, for the elections of the 6th parliament, many journalists came to me to arrange a translator and a guide for them. Daniel came to me with a bag and a very big suitcase... So-and-so who was Misbah's student was also in my office. I jokingly said: Mr. Haj, this suitcase is full of dollars, and they want to spread the press of Khordadi against you and Islam.

The world collapsed on me.

I drank cold water for a few days, was interrogated many times, accused of espionage, summoned, threatened, heart attack, etc. My times and many others had changed.

I wanted to ask Daniel about the story after his release. But..

A few days later, Daniel's head was cut off.

My days became darker.