Ilam-- "Prisoners of war are regarded as religious as well as national heroes of the country," stated the director of the POW Headquarters of Ilam Province.

Speaking on Monday at a ceremony honoring the province's prisoners of war, Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavi said that POWs are like messengers of the Islamic Revolution and self-sacrifice, who created unforgettable epics for Iran in the detention camps of the Ba'ath regime which the contemporary community should bear in mind.

He stated that the familiarity of people, particularly the upcoming generation, with the suffering and persecution experienced by prisoners of war to defend the dignity of the Islamic Revolution and Iran have made the people more sensitive to the achievements of the revolution.

Mahdavi earnestly called on government cultural organizations to make greater efforts to teach the younger generation about the POWs' experiences.

Dozens of ex-POWs attended the ceremony, during which poems were recited and stories were told.

The ceremony, which was sponsored by the Red Crescent Society of Ilam Province (RCSIP), was held in the RCSIP Cultural Complex.