Diary of Iranian Revolution: Week of 9th to 16th Jan
This Sunday sun didn’t set on lands where there was a protest by Iranians. On the 3rd anniversary of the downing of flight PS752 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied together across five continents to mark the event and renew calls for justice.
On Jan. 8, 2020, the Iranian military shot down Toronto-bound Flight PS752 which killed 176 people, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.
The day is now observed as the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters. Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau joined grieving Iranians in the ceremony taking place in Toronto, saying Ottawa would be relentless in fighting for truth, justice and accountability.
However, Canada and the EU have so far failed to designate IRGC as a terrorist group, despite efforts made by Iranian activists, lobbyists, and MPs representing Iranians with dual citizenship.
For Iranians, it is a day to attempt to make the world hold IRGC accountable for all innocent lives taken and livelihoods destroyed, not only in Iran but across the middle-east especially in Iraq and Syria.
Iranians marched in over 70 cities worldwide to show support for the uprising in Iran and to commemorate the victims of the flight. From Sidney to Rome, Vienna, London, Dusseldorf, California, Washington and Vancouver thousands of Iranians took to the streets and held memorials.
They carried emotional vigils and displayed pictures of passengers as well as those Iranian protesters who were killed at the hands of the Islamic regime.
In Iran, people also took to the streets in several cities including cities of Tehran, Karaj, Qazvin, Mashhad, Sanandaj and Bandar Abbas. Memorials were held as well at the universities including Amirkabir University, Tehran University, Kurdestan University, BouAli University and Soureh University. Freedom fighters set up street art and drew graffiti to show their rage against the barbaric killings and executions.
During protests, two photos particularly stood out.
The day before the memorial, the Iranian regime hanged two young men. #MohammadKarami,21, was a karate champion and #SeyedMohammadHosseini, 20, was a volunteer children’s coach. They were convicted of killing a member of Basij paramilitary force during nationwide protests. None of them had access to a lawyer of their choice. Karami was not given the final right to speak to his family before his execution. He was on a dry food hunger strike while he was executed as he tried to protest against the injustice of the judiciary system.
The story of #SeyedMohammadHosseini is so sad. He lost both his parents. He visited their graves every Thursday and was arrested while returning from their grave. He coached kids for free. He didn’t have any family and officials refrained from giving his dead body to his friends for a burial ceremony.
So, many Iranians took it upon themselves to hold memorials for him and to pay tribute to his soul by cooking and donating food as an offering. The day after his death hundreds of Iranians gathered in the cemetery where he was buried, but the place was stormed by security guards and access was blocked. Mohammad Karami’s family were the only ones able to visit his grave since he was buried in the same location as his comrade.
The Father of Mohammad Karami appeared on their grave wearing his son’s blouse addressing Seyed Mohammad saying: “Please take care of my son”
Iran is drenched in sorrow, everyone has someone or something dear taken away by the mullah’s regime. Thousands of plots of private lands and properties were surrendered to the government as collaterals for those released on bail. Some lost loved ones, many lost their jobs, and others even lost their health and beauty.
#GhazalRanjkesh is among the dozens of Iranians who were blinded due to trauma from metal pellets shot by security forces.
Ghazal was on her way home with her mother when a police officer fired a metal bullet at her face at close range. She wrote on her Instagram page: “Why did you hit me? Why were you smiling when you shot at me?” Ranjkesh asked the shooter, adding: “ I had very beautiful eyes, everyone was telling me that.”
With loss comes a feeling of regret. For many of us, as a nation, the loss is not just the absence of someone or something dear. It is not an infliction of pain. It is a sad sense of deprivation from the happiness that could have been. So, we need to practice happiness regardless of loss. We need to stand tall against the enemy and the sorrow they hope would bring us down. It is becoming part of our conventional culture to celebrate our loss and to smile in the face of pain. Martyrs are celebrated by dancing families and detained are visited by family and friends who put on proud happy faces.
#NiloofarAghaie, a doctor who lost her eye to pellet bullets always smiles during the videos she publishes on her social media. She made a wish for her birthday this week, hoping “what we all want will come to pass”.
However, with loss also comes the heavy burden of responsibility for avoiding another defeat.
On Sunday night, rumours started circulating that two protesters named Mohammad Ghobadlou and Mohammad Boroughani had been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for the execution.
In a matter of few hours, hundreds gathered outside the prison to prevent their imminent execution and stop what is now called “state-sanctioned killings”.
The crowd lingered until the early hours of morning despite shootings by guards which caused some to get injured. The execution was suspended and they are scheduled for retrial. The next day Islamic judiciary published a statement claiming that they didn’t have plans for executions that day, anyway.
This week, while many cities in Iran draped in a white blanket of snow after several years of drought, gas shortages forced several state organizations and industrial towns to reduce working hours. State offices and schools had to close for a couple of days..
The “harsh winter” Iranian officials predicted for Europe gripped Iran giving way to a new wave of public dissatisfaction and rage.
While most European countries have managed their energy needs, Iranians are prompted by officials to turn down heating, wear warmer clothes and use thicker curtains.
Oil minister #JavadOwji made appeals to public on the state TV asking people for cooperation. The situation has only sparked anger. Iran was the fifth-largest crude oil producer in OPEC in 2021 and the third-largest natural gas producer in the world in 2020, however, a lack of management and investment in infrastructures have resulted in gas shortages in the country.
That’s all folks for this week. Thanks for listening and do come back next Sunday to hear more.
