Zahra's Paradise

Zahra's Paradise by Amir and Khalil

While I might mention books I'm reading, it's not often you'll see me saying "Hey, buy this book!". But Zahra's Paradise, both in story and purpose, are different. Set against the backdrop of the stolen 2009 Iranian elections, Zahra's Paradise, tells the very human story of a mother looking for her 'lost' son, Mehdi, who has been swept up in the reprisals and arrests. The title is a bitterly ironic allusion to Behesht-e Zahra, one of the largest cemeteries in Tehran.* Translated from the Farsi as Zahra's Paradise, Behesht-e Zahra represents the all too often fate of dissenters to the false reelection of Mahmoud Amadinejad in 2009. Those elections saw massive uprisings and terrible reprisals. From the cover of the book we see the remembrance of the Green Revolution and what made for a turning point in Amadinejad's miserable theft of the election: the cell phone cameras that documented what was really going on in Iran. Cell phones which documented Neda's murder and the atrocities against peaceful demonstrators, who were largely students.

Zahra's Paradise is the book version of the long running webcomic Zahra's Paradise, which began in early 2010 and has now been translated into thirteen languages. The webcomic is now in Aftermath entries. I'm not sure if you're still able to access the story itself online, but I encourage my readers to check out Amir and Khalil's links.

Likened to Marjane Satrapi's epic Persepolis series, Zahra's Paradise is an important and accessible work that documents what happened in Iran in 2009 and what it was like for families there. It is a battle cry in the fight for human rights in Iran, which has not, in spite of the regime's best attempts, been extinguished. It is a loud and clear voice against Amadinejad, Khamenei and their repressive regime. It is a moving and often frightening story that took courage to tell, week after week, for two men who still had families in Iran.

You can read an interview with author Amir at United4Iran's website, here.

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*One of my longtime readers has just informed me that the title Zahra's Paradise is also a reference to Zahra Kazemi, the Canadian-Iranian photojournalist who was investigating the disappearance of dissidents in Iran. Ms. Kazemi was beaten to death in Evin prison in 2003. In spite of claims that she had a stroke during questioning, Ms. Kazemi's body showed a skull fracture, broken nose, very brutal rape, severe abdominal bruising, flogging on her legs, broken fingers and missing fingernails, upon a very controversial autopsy. Her death represented the first time a death in Iranian custody attracted major international media attention. Both her interrogators were acquitted of her murder. Ms. Kazemi was 54 at the time of her death.

Zahra Kazemi, BBC

© Bright Nepenthe, 2011

Reminder: For Neda

(For Freedom, For Truth,) For Neda will air on HBO tonight, Monday night, at 9 pm EDT. This is CNN's Fareed Zakaria's What in the World segment devoted to the film, which Iran is trying to prevent it citizens from seeing by jamming Voice of America's broadcast signal. 


But you can watch it.

Text content © Bright Nepenthe, 2010

Commemorating Neda

It is one year since the Green movement in Iran saw their hopes for change shattered. No visage has been more emblematic of the disputed election results than that of 26 year old student Neda Agha-Soltan. Neda's murder by the Iranian Security Service on the streets of Tehran, during a peaceful rally, was captured on a grainy cell phone video. The footage was shown around the world in spite of all the best efforts by the Ahmadinejad regime to prevent its release.

In the US there is much talk of Iran's nuclear program and the grave risk that Iran poses to the security of the world. The actions of the Iranian regime dominate the US perceptions and have greatly colored our knowledge of the Iranian people. I have several Iranian friends whose sorrow over the situation in their (now former) country, and the perception of their country here in the West, is endless. My stepmother visited Iran not long before the elections. The sense of hope among the people was palpable, she said. I'm always chary of attributing any particular characteristics to an entire country. But Iran is a country steeped in rich cultural history and their population, two thirds of which is under age 30, lives in hope of greater freedom. We want Iran to change, and most assuredly, so does the youthful population there. They have struggled mightily to try to bring about that change. Millions demonstrated bravely on the streets of Tehran, which ran red with the blood of people just like Neda.

HBO sponsored Anthony Thomas's documentary on Neda and the Green Movement. Iran has, of course, sought to block access of the Iranian citizenry to this film. 

The Iranian government has sought to limit coverage of anything even slightly commemorative of the protests against the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad one year ago. Reportedly Neda's family have been offered bribes by the Ahmadinejad administration for their silence on the matter of their daughter's death. The offers were rebuffed. Instead, Neda's parents bravely appeared in the HBO documentary. Even greater is the courage of Saeed Kamali Dehghan, the 24 year old Iranian journalist with steely determination and ice water in his veins. He photographed and interviewed and filmed completely under the radar of the Iranian government. He smuggled the footage out at incredible personal risk. As much as this is Anthony Thomas's film in direction, it is Saeed Kamali Dehghan who made the film possible at all. We owe it to the courage of all those who struggle against the Ahmadinejad regime to recognize their cause and that, just as in recent times in the US, a reckless leader does not define an entire country or its people.

The trailer of For Neda:

Trailer

You can read more about the documentary here. 

If you believe that Iran is doing terrible things, frustrate the Ahmadinejad administration by watching this film, promoting it on your Facebook page and talking about it with your friends, colleagues and family. Don't let the voice of the Iranian people be silenced.

© Bright Nepenthe, 2010