That Bloody T-Shirt

How many years out of a person’s life is “enough time” spent on a cause? Ahmad Batebi gave nine years of his life to the simple action of holding up a bloody T-Shirt during the 1999 student uprising in Tehran University, and his refusal to “repent,” “confess,” and “give in.” He has suffered imprisonment, torture, loss of some of the best years of his young life in solitary confinement, losing his health and his chances of continuing his education and to be an active member of the society near his family and friends. Ahmad Batebi lost his youth and health, but not his spirit. That should be enough.

 

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/

This New York Times blog today talks about Mr. Batebi’s seeking political asylum and medical treatment in the U.S. I think Mr. Batebi has already paid enough. Though he seems interested in continuing to defend human rights in Iran and to help other political prisoners in Iranian prisons, I would like to see him return to his education and to his pursuit of a normal life. The article talks about how he taught himself to read music and play the guitar in prison, waiting five years before he could hold a real guitar in his hands. This bit of the NY Times blog about him reminded me how young he was when he was put in that prison for all those years. I think Ahmad Batebi can hold his head up for all that he has accomplished so far, and at age 30, he should finally start building a life for himself. Here’s an excerpt from that blog.

“In the interview, speaking through a translator, he described, among other things, how he learned to play the guitar in prison. First, a short time after his arrest, he happened across an old magazine with instructions on how to read music. He later asked his family to smuggle in blank sheet music pages — which they did, using it as wrapping for the fruit they gave him.

“Later, he asked his sister to measure the distance between frets on a guitar, and made his own replica, using the specifications, along with a wooden board and, for strings, a bicycle brake cable and threads he had pulled out of a blanket.

“It was not until five years later, out on furlough, that he held an actual guitar in his hands and found he could play it, he said. Later, Mr. Batebi said, prisoners were allowed access to musical instruments, and his family even donated some — though as a political prisoner, his use of them was restricted.

“There is a poignant note to Mr. Batebi’s guitar story. One of the songs he was eventually able to learn was “Nothing Else Matters,” by Metallica. He was a fan of the band, and other heavy metal music, as a teenager. Now, a decade later, he still enjoys it, but is nagged by the idea that the hard-edged music was better suited his younger self.

“He feels it’s a bit out of place for people of his age now, that people have grown out of it” said his translator, Hadi Ghaemi, of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. “He feels that he lost that chance when it was the right time.”

Meet Iranian Singles

Iranian Singles

Recipient Of The Serena Shim Award

Serena Shim Award
Meet your Persian Love Today!
Meet your Persian Love Today!