Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
I love the image above, and the imagery it stems from in this video. It embodies MLK's quote, which rings in my mind because of my friend Charles's recent, great and hopeful piece, Justice Matters, inspired by a town meeting discussion and showing of the film Beyond the Bricks. Beyond the Bricks seems very timely in light of our country's recent discussion about young men. But I digress.
In keeping with this week's theme of Iran and the Iranian citizenry's struggle for their rights, I wanted to promote this short video titled Culture of Human Rights. It is beautiful, moving and Iranian.
Before anyone even starts with me on the matter, a caveat: While there is some dispute over the content and intent of the Cyrus Cylinder, created by Cyrus the Great of Persia (now modern day Iran) in the the 6th Century BC, there is evidence that Cyrus supported the repatriation of Jews with him to Jerusalem, returned their holy objects to them after their captivity in Ancient Babylon, and encouraged them to rebuild their Temple. It's in the Hebrew Bible. (Source: The Book of Ezra) While the portions text of the Cylinder that can be translated detail the relief provided to those oppressed under the "yoke" of Babylon, there is no indication of abolition of slavery, right to self-determination or asylum, among other claims that have been made about the Cylinder in the general media. Scholarly interpretations disagree with those claims.
Irrespective of some of the factual disputes of this early Iranian/Persian doctrine of human rights, the tenets of this short film by the Iranian-American helmed 12 Petals Media Group are entirely sound. Please watch this beautiful short film.
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