“… This candle is going to be extinguished but this voice would never. This voice is for peaceful life, tolerance, love to the people, devoting for them, seeking the Truth, freedom loving, Democracy loving, respecting others, accepting different styles of life, separating the state from civic society, separating the private life from public life, distinguishing between religion and the government, equality for all the people, rationality, federalism within the framework of a democratic Iran and is against violence. This voice is going to be extinguished. But this voice will be followed by other voices.” [1]

This second letter from Akbar Ganji, the most famous Iranian political prisoner addresses all the freedom loving people of the world. On his 35th day of hunger strike, his body is shrinking day by day, but his esteem and will seem to get more power. Among the prominent figures supporting him, names of Noble laureates such as south African Bishop Toto, Irish Betty Williams, Prof Judy Williams and famous intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky, Juan Cole and others.

* * *
Akbar Ganji, a former revolutionary guard, is a typical figure for the changes that happened in many of the supporters and founders of Islamic system in Iran. Now, in their fifties, they all joined the Revolution, inspired by a revolutionary interpretation of Islam. Their version of Islam – Shiaa- emphasizes benefits for the the poor. Their Islam wanted to see the whole world Islamic and under the united flag of Allah. Later, when the real life taught them different lessons, they were smart and honest enough to revise many of their own ideas themselves. They began to study and read and look at the world through a new lens. Their emphasis on ‘exporting’ the Revolution was substituted by mottos like ‘peace in the world.’ They who were proud to say that their politics is exactly like their religion, changed the views to say that the state should be separated from the religion and began to turn their heads toward the western ideas of secularism. These people are now known as reformists and they succeeded to win two presidential elections in Iran.

* * *

Born and raised in a poor family in a southern district of Tehran, Akbar Ganji picked journalism as a profession some fifteen years ago. Beginning to write articles on intellectual issues, he founded the magazine ‘Kian.’ Ganji became more active when reformists won their first presidential election by taking Khatami with a landslide victory of 22 millions votes inside the presidential palace. Khatami inherited a corrupt system of power which had a dark profile on certain issues -especially human rights.

It was soon revealed that before Khatami, the Iranian intelligence service was actively involved in murdering some political opponents both inside and outside the country. These murders -known as ‘chain
murders’- included writers, intellectuals and all the figures that for some reason were labeled ‘dangerous’.
It was disclosed that the murders all were approved by certain clerics in Qom. The few culprits who were put on trial in Khatami’s time, claimed that none of the cases were implemented without ‘fatwa’s from Iran’s top religious leaders.

Like many of the similar cases, this saga never received a clear and definite conclusion. Going on through deeper layers of power, everybody knew that the figures involved were too powerful to be even hinted at. This issue was left untouched and became an open wound for all Iranians.

When the judiciary system failed to disclose the truth, journalists began to uncover it themselves. As they knew that the issue was very sensitive and too dangerous to touch, an association of journalists/investigators decided to pick one person from their own ranks to write about the case. That person was Akbar Ganji.

Ganji began to write about these issues with passion:
Illegal mafia like activities of Intelligence Service, the murders and other corruption. His books “The Dungeon of Ghosts” and “The Red Eminence, The Grey Eminences” were published and read widely in Iran.
These texts disclosed the truth that raised the hair of all those who read it.

At a time when everyone expected him to be punished, he received an invitation for a “future of Iran”
conference held in Berlin and he attended in April 2000.

The conference program was interrupted by some Iranian exiled dissidents. Among other events, the TV cameras showed a woman dancing without observing the islamic dress code. This gave a good opportunity to Iranian hardliner-controlled TV, to wage a propaganda war on the ‘counter-revolutionaries’ and those ‘elements’ who took part in the conference.

Islamic Republic Broadcasting showed full coverage of the story and the footage went on air on nine o’clock news. It angered the conservatives and many angry demonstrations were organized in Qom, the religious heart of the country and other cities. Akbar Ganji who was ironically labeled as ‘traitor’ and ‘spy of regime’ by the exiled dissidents, was himself arrested by the regime upon his return to Iran. He was put on trial and promptly convicted for ‘trying to damage national security’.

In first years of his prison term, Ganji preferred to study and read books. But during the past two years, he has decided to publish his writings and began to smuggle them out of the prison. His latest writings titled ‘Republican Manifesto’ revealed a deep change in his thoughts. One very prominent point in his writings is his views against the spiritual leadership of the country- Ali Khamenei. Referring to his limitless powers, the supreme leader is called a ‘Sultan’ by Ganji. Since nobody before had ever dared to attack the supreme leader directly, Ganji once again crossed the ‘red line’ of the system. Even when he was granted a short medical leave from prison last June, he didn’t stop criticizing Khamenei. Ganji told the reporters that he thinks sixteen years in power is more than enough for the Leader. He added that he is ready to accept the consequences of his views on this issue.

* * *

Suffering from sever asthma and back pain, he is barred from receiving any treatment outside the prison. Unlike all other prisoners, he is banned from communicating with his relatives. During the hunger strike he has lost 22 kilos and the pictures taken recently from him show him that slim that one can hardly believe it is Akbar Ganji.

* * *

Iranian hardliners who have showed to be professional and smart tacticians, now face a big dilemma on Ganji’s case: to keep him in prison and let him die and urge a serious protest inside and outside the country or release him when they are sure he is determined to go on protesting the Power system in Iran and the spiritual leader.

Akbar Ganji is currently on his 37th day of hunger strike at Tehran’s Evin prison.

-L. Khosravi

Notes
1) Ganji’s full letter in English here:
http://freeganji.blogspot.com/2005/07/second-letter-to-free-peop_112140007861549830.html

2) Signatories of the “Free Ganji” letter written to the Islamic Republic officials:
http://releaseganji.net/hostednews.php#216

3) Ganji’s recently released prison pictures can be viewed here (Day 35 of his hunger strike): http://www.iranian.com/PhotoDay/2005/July/ag1.html

 

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