Shahrokh Ahkami
— Persian Heritage #108, Spring 2023 —
Once again with the arrival of Norooz, I with my hardworking staff want to thank all of you who have supported us. We also want to extend to Iranians (throughout the world) and non-Iranians who celebrate this beautiful holiday, best wishes for the coming year. We hope this year continues to bring health, happiness, and prosperity to everyone. For those who are suffering and do not have or enjoy freedom we pray this year will bring you this freedom, liberty and basic human rights, you deserve.
When I look back, I find it incredible that Persian Heritage has survived all these years despite the financial and other obstacles we have faced. It is incredible that the sacrifices of one family and its hardworking volunteer staff have been able to keep this together. It is incredible that this magazine continues to bring to the homes of Iranians and non-Iranians, Iran’s culture, art, literature and history. This magazine has been able to teach the second and third generations of Iranian Americans and other hyphenations about the beauty of Iran and its people.
The year 2022 brought many surprises to the world. It was one filled with turmoil especially the brutal war between Ukraine and Russia. This war has made refugees out of people who lived freely. They were prosperous within their borders. Now they have been forced to move throughout the world. This flood of refugees and other refugees from the Middle East, Iran, Africa, Latin America and others, often when searching for their refuge were forced to confront unacceptable behavior from modern countries.
In Iran turbulence, poverty, corruption, injustice, and inhuman treatment by religious leaders of Iran (mullahs) increased. A major contribution to this was the reaction of the young women and men over the killing of Mahsa Amini, as we reported and addressed in our winter issue. Her killing and the killing of other innocent victims caused anger and ignited an uprising against the government. These young people of Iran sparked a movement against the actions of their brutal leaders. Suddenly and as, we have always stated these Iranian citizens who the world perceived incorrectly as terrorists were now legitimately perceived by the world as the symbol of “freedom” and “resistance” seeking to obtain their freedom, liberty, and equality.
One would think that the negative perception the rulers of Iran were receiving throughout the world, would force them to reduce their acts of oppression on these women (who only wanted their freedom of choice on what to wear and what to say.) The rulers instead imposed more pressure on them. They imprisoned them and in some cases executed them. But despite the mullah’s actions they were unable to stop the movement of these beautiful and brave young men and women. It became more persistent. The demands by the movement called for the regime to change and punishment for the mullahs to become stronger. Because of the mullah’s inability, over the years to run a fair and decent government for its people, one of the richest countries of the world, one filled with natural and human resources, became the poorest and neediest. Instead of securing the comfort of its own people with the country’s wealth they instead guaranteed the comfort for the people of Syria, Lebanon and Venezuela, etc.
The regime has without success made useless arguments to try and impress the powers of the West. The West respondsed by increasing sanctions which left the Iranian people hungrier and their dining room tables with less food. Because of the mullah’s, government officials and their allies stealing, corruption and misuse of funds, banks have gone bankrupt leaving the people unable to secure their money to buy food. The regime instead gives large loans to their own families and friends. They have been forced to melt 70 tons of gold to make coins. Their actions have increased the cost of the dollar to rise from 7 tomans (before the revolution) up to 70,000 tomans. With their tricks, like Arsene Lupin (the master of disguise and deception) they emptied the pockets of the people to compensate for their empty treasury and annual budget.
In the past six months these brave young women and men who are fighting for liberty, equality, and the separation of religion from government, have been met with many tricks and deceptions by their government; there is the pressure to wear the hijab; the executions, imprisonments. They have had to listen to the rhetoric of the regime, one that left them unable to afford food and shelter. They have witnessed the regime’s horrific acts in avoiding assistance to the helpless people of Khoi after the earthquake. Not only did they witness the regime’s refusal to send food, clothing and medical aid to these victims (hungry, cold and homeless), the regime stopped aid from the people, unless they complied with certain demands. Caravans filled with food, clothing and medical supplies were not permitted to go to Khoi unless the packages were marked “the gift of the government”. And the government did not allow the people to seek shelter from the weather in mosques, which are SUPPOSE to be the house of Khoda, God.
This is unbelievable because during the earthquake between Syria and Turkey the Iranian government provided plane loads of food and assistance to the people and made HOT Chelo kababs. The people of Khoi, hungry and desperate, wanted only a blanket to keep warm, a pair of shoes to keep their feet dry and a hot or cold meal in order to bring day to night or night to day.
Adding to these shameful actions by the regime came the news of the poisoning of schoolgirls which started first in the religious city of Qom and then spread over to most of the cities. This news spread throughout the country and the world and blasted like a bombshell. For many older Iranians it brought them back to the war between Iran and Iraq and the chemical bombing of the Kurdish city of Halabcheh and the gassing of over 5,000 men, women and children. This news regarding the killing of a few young girls and the poisoning of these young innocent girls frightened the people. The government denied any involvement. And then one of the mullah’s stated that this act was orchestrated and carried out by an ultra-fanatic religious group organized in Qom. This was followed by the government stating that the 100 students, who did this poisoning were captured and then released, after they were given guidance.
The public of course did not accept this fabricated story. They watched in anger as two mullahs, not in serious form, stood in front of a few hundred young girls who were dressed in white. They were explaining to them the benefits of child marriage and how an older husband can be kind and giving to a child bride. After a long time of silence, however, the mullahs finally criticized the poisoning and agreed that whoever was involved needed to be captured and given REAL punishment.
Again, the people did not believe this story. Do these leaders think that there is no one around to question them? They are wrong because the people know that they are lying. The people know that their misguidance made them NOLONGER believable. If the explanation of the mullahs is true regarding the poisoning incident than why was the reporter who broke the story arrested and placed in jail? If the explanation of the mullahs was true than explain how these 100 students were able to so easily get their hands on the poisonous products? And, why were there pictures of the teachers and the employees entering the school with gas masks on before the event? If the mullah’s explanation were true how did the students so easily and so organized carry out their action?
Isn’t it puzzling that in an Islamic country, a religion that forbids lying and deceiving that its leaders themselves perpetrate lies? Could it be that they believe and as we are often taught that a small white lie that will avoid a big chaos and disaster is acceptable? Maybe they believe that by stealing, deceiving denying, draining the treasury, and covering up their actions with fabricated stories and explanations regarding the poisoning of these young women will prevent some other disaster for them? In other words we are being told that the fabrication and lies by the mullahs is acceptable on the basis of religion.
Perhaps the plan of the government was to create fear and horror in an attempt to deflect the people’s attention away from the hourly weakening of the Iranian currency and therefore creating more hardships for the Iranian people. But that father who works to put food on the table and provide for his family is not going to forget the cause of his financial peril. He will not forget that because of their lies he has no funds to pay his rent or to buy potatoes, onions, bread or meat for his family’s dinner table. Do they think that a girl fighting for her freedom of choice on what to wear and what to say will forget? She will not accept their deceitful explanations? Do they think that these women will become submissive to the blow to the head by the police ? Do they think that by creating so much chaos that parents will bow their heads and forget the children they have lost to this regime and the millions of dreams they have had to bury? NO NO NO!
There could be another thought. Perhaps it is not the government using these tactics. Perhaps it is a way for the people to weaken the regime, making it easier for a takeover. In earlier days the regime blamed all the negatively affecting the country on outside sources, hoping the people would unite behind them. More recently, since this poisoning, they have changed their minds. They are blaming the poisoning on internal sources so a coup d’état will come inside the country rather than foreign nations interceding.
Unfortunately these days pic-pocketers go to jail, people who protest are arrested, tortured and executed BUT those who steal millions from the treasuary, money that belong to the people and who caused the banks to fail are not punished ! They have sent these stolen funds to families out of the country who are now enjoying a good life.
Unfortunately this year because of all the events happening within Iran and the suffering and difficulties facing the Iranian people Norooz celebrations will be less warm and colorful. But we always need to keep and practice: Norooz, Chaharshanbeh Soori and Sizdeh Bedar. We need to share these traditions with our families. We need to share the joys of spring and the awakening of nature. And we must always be hopeful that the new year will bring joy, prosperity, and happiness.