REMEMBERING DECEMBER 7.1959

ghandchi,shariat razavi and bozorgnia,victims of students massacre at tehran university,1953

your way is our way
you are lying in your red blood
on a white road
we cover your bodies
with a green robe
it is your way
that is our way

I REMEMBER WELL FIFTY YEARS AGO ON 16 AZAR 1338/DECEMBER 7,1959,WHEN AS A FRESHMAN MEDICAL STUDENT,I HELD HANDS WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS AND MARCHED DOWN THE STREETS OF UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN.THIS WAS TO COMMEMORATE THE LIFE OF THREE STUDENTS:GHANDCHI,SHARIAT RAZAVI AND BOZORGNIA WHO WERE SHOT BY MEMBERS OF SHAH'S MERCENARIES.THIS DEMONSTRATION WAS PEACEFUL WHILE WE CHANTED SLOGANS,ALTHOUGH MY FRIEND BAHMAN WITH SOME OF THE SOON TO BE REVIVED NATIONAL FRONT MEMBERS WERE ARRESTED BUT RELEASED THE NEXT DAY.

I DID NOT THINK OF THESE DAYS THEN,WHEN NO DEMONSTRATION IS CONSIDERED PEACEFUL ANYMORE AND FACES THREATS,ATTACKS,ARRESTS AND COURTS,AT NO MERCY,IF NOT TINGED BY BLOOD LETTING,DUE TO SHOOTING OF A BUNCH OF BARBARIAN BRAINWASHED MERCENARIES.

THOSE DAYS WE WERE READING LOVE POEMS OF FORUGH FAROKHZAD,AHMAD SHAMLU AND SIMIN BEHBEHANI ,AND NOW AS WE STILL READING THEM, THEIR TONE HAS CHANGED CONSIDERABLY.IT IS ALL ABOUT TUMULT AND CLAMOR NOW.IT IS A LIVING IMAGE OF A NEW GENERATION WHO ARE SEARCHING FREEDOM.

STOP ALL THESE TUMULT AND CLAMOR

DON'T TAKE IT ALL TO DIRT AND BLOOD

DON'T DO SOMETHING TO MAKE

THE PEOPLE,SOBBING AND MOURNING.

from : SIMIN BEHBEHANI'S POEM "DO NOT THROW MY SOIL TO THE WIND",

TEHRAN,JUNE 2009