Twitter, Paulo Coelho, Facebook, were instrumental in getting information out of Iran over these last few weeks that the evil Supreme Being has ordered a clampdown on what little democracy exists in Iran. Should they not be joint recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize?

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/434151.html
http://www.indymedia.org/en/2009/07/926569.shtml

Also see

http://www.worker-communistpartyofiran.blogspot.com/

for some amazing film footage of women on the front line in Iran

Keith

I was a frequent reader of your works translated by Arash since at least ten years ago when I was a high school student. Indeed I have read all of your books published until a few years ago and your words have always been inspiring to me. I read about Arash Hejazi today when for the first time I saw his name (and not only his image), and it sounded quite familiar to me, so I got to your blog to double check.

It’s unfortunate the incidences which have happened in Iran. People are certainly risking their lives to reach some fundamental humanistic freedom, which is of course much respectable. However, knowing my country quite well, I believe the election is only an excuse for the opposition to show its resentment. Don’t tell me the election was rigged while every candidate had more than forty thousands monitors at the polling stations!! We have always had election disputes in Iran and will continue to have it over the next century. I can only trust the opposition as much as I trust the government itself when it comes to the issue of election fraud.

And It doesn’t matter to me so much that 70-80 percent of the people in capital has voted for the opposition, what matters to me is that at least 70 percent of the lower class population has voted for the current government. I’m from a small city in Iran where 80 percent has voted to Ahmadinejad and this is absolutely understandable for me. In such a small city the cultural freedom that Tehranis are seeking are not even appealing to the youth whose major problems are tradition and economy. I don’t mean that Ahmadinejad has managed the economy very well, but I mean that the opposition has only made the election an excuse in order to go to the streets and demand its social freedom, as this is their only chance to raise their voice.

Any way, I’ve become totally disappointed of the reform movement in Iran, as I believe now the reformists and the university youth are insulting the vulnerable lower middle class population. They still haven’t learnt that they can’t overtake the pace of history while the rest of their country demands something else (Khatami also thought so but couldn’t do much!). They are of course a big population 40% but not the majority yet! I’m talking within the framework of the system, though, I don’t mean people are satisfied with the ‘regime’ (no one likes their government!); I mean within this system, the reformists have only been able to attract 40% of the people.

So I’m afraid I don’t have much affinity with the likes of Arash or Neda who dispute the vote of their vulnerable compatriots. After all, those who advocate ‘being a warrior of light’ should base their battle on the right principles! I believe these twitter savvy youth who organize the protests should be sent to exile to remote villages so that they learn that they are not the only ones living in this country. Although I appreciate the demand of these youth, I’m only with them when they get a better understanding of the true demands of the vulnerable and poor Iranians.

Aatash

love
amir reza

I am with you with all my heart

Mesl-e in hame adam qaziye-ye Neda ra tombal mikonam wa mosahebe-ye shoma ra bara-ye BBC didam.

You have done the right thing, and you have proved that you are a man of courage. You are a true Warrior of Light.

Now I am also worried for you, please take care of yourself and of your family,

With love
one who is writing about your interview and about you for sites in one European country, the country of Eichelberger

I as an Iranian wanted to thank you for the follow up you have made on June 21, Dr Hejazi and all Iranian have to be so proud to have someone like you as their friend.

I have to take this opportunity to thank Arash and his brave action to help Neda and later on put himself to the dangerous situation to brief what had happened on June 20th.
Iran needs more Arash and Neda. There are still hope for freedom in Iran.
Toronto

I as an Iranian wanted to thank you for the follow up you have made on June 21, Dr Hejazi and all Iranian have to be so proud to have someone like you as their friend.

I have to take this opportunity to thank Arash and his brave action to help Neda and later on put himself to the dangerous situation to brief what had happened on June 20th.
Iran needs more Arash and Neda. There are still hope for freedom in Iran.
Toronto, Canada

Dr. Hejazi,

It was brave of you to try to save Neda, but far more brave to allow yourself to be interviewed and speak the truth about what is happening in Iran. I also hope that the UK is able to provide amnesty for you and your family. I hope that, in the long run, things will improve in Iran and you can return there. If that happens, it’s because of what you selflessly have done.

My thoughts are with you.

in india one of the surest method of selling a large number of copies of your book is to get it banned or get some noise made for banning it – so say some.

banning a book has been and always will be counterproductive for every regime, specially so in these times of free internet. no oone can convince any right thinking indivudual or even just plain ctitizens that being exposed to some novel or some book can do unrepairable harm to their being, hence people always get more curious to read what is banned by regeimes.

violent repression of peaceful protestors, specially killing them have been a death nail for the ideoalogies which sanction such killing. remember tinamen square massacre in china, the whole communist thinking changed after that, free market became the watchword for the communist regime, and terrible deprivation of the classes became evident, the labout laws in china are strange, they ensure minimun wages for them, no safety at their workplaces, and scant dignity at the hands of government functionaries some of whom are worse than any class enemy!

Hope people of Iran and everywhere else get treated with dignity, which all rulers are dutybound to give, when prophets have treated the common masses with love, respect and dignity then if anyone thinks otherwise needs to take a relook at their own self. No sacrifice ever goes a waste, neither will these by the Iranian people, now.

love
aditya

Iranian police commander said: Arash Hejazi’s murder call the Sultan Agha as control stramash is making prosecution under the International Police (Interpol) .

http://www1.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8804100464

thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us about what happend to your friend Dr. hejazi. Everyone should raise their voice where ever there is an act of injustice!!! and what is happening in iran right now is a brutal act of injustice!!!and i thank Dr. Hejazi for raising his voice about what really happend to neda for those who had a doubt about it!like the iranian ambassador in Mexico!!!thank you so much Dr. Hejazi. MAN BE SHOMA EFTEKHAR MIKONAM!!!!

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

“I am concerned about my family. The presidential election is near.
They are doing everything to keep things under control,” he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4544105.stm

Friday 13,2005 , 14:08 GMT 15:08 UK

Iran ‘bans author Coelho’s novel’

Coelho said he had a government permit to publish the book

The latest novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho has been banned in
Iran, its publisher in the country has said.

Iranian authorities confiscated 1,000 copies of The Zahir at the
Tehran Book Fair on Monday but did not give a reason, according to
publisher Caravan.

The Zahir, published in Iran last month, tells the story of an author
who tries to track down his missing war correspondent wife.

Coelho has sold an estimated 65 million books around the world.

His previous novels include The Alchemist and Eleven Minutes, and The
Zahir will be published in 83 countries.

Caravan’s Arash Hejazi said he was now worried about his safety.
————————–

Shaping a country: list of Iranian authors
June 17, 2009 – (5 days before the Neda video appeared)

Arash Hejazi originally studied to be a medical doctor in Tehran. His
thesis in medical school was about “the influences of storytelling on
children’s anxiety disorders.” …….. A staunch advocate of free
speech in Iran, Hejazi is openly against the Iranian government’s
censorship of books.

http://www.examiner.com/x-13563-Richmond-Literature-Examiner~y2009m6d17-Shaping-a-country-list-of-Iranian-authors

Brazilian author Paulo Coelho says his latest book banned in Iran
Thursday, 12 May 2005

AFP

PARIS – International best-selling Brazilian author Paulo Coelho said
Thursday that his latest novel “The Zahir” had been banned in Iran,
with some 1,000 copies confiscated this week at Tehran’s annual book
fair.

“The book was forbidden, even though we went through the normal
procedures of getting a permit from the government for it to be
published,” Coelho said in an e-mail message sent to AFP by his French
publishers Flammarion.

“Now, my Iranian publisher, Arash Hejazi, is expressing serious
concerns about his safety,” said Coelho, best known for “The
Alchemist”

http://www.iranfocus.com/en/iran-general-/brazilian-author-paulo-coelho-says-his-latest-book-banned-in-iran-02084.html

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
John Lennon