Iranians like to boast that they come from a land of poetry and art. It is to no surprise, then, that socio-political movements in Iranian history are often accompanied by efflorescence in arts.
Since the protests broke out on 28 December (and have since quieted down) a total of 25 people had died and nearly 4,000 had been arrested, according to the Iranian judiciary. They also have said that hundreds had been released, including 500 in Tehran. There are demands by many within and outside of Iran for accountability for the deaths of detained protesters. Many are skeptical and demand investigations into what the judiciary argue were deaths due to suicide. While sometimes disparate, protests were spurred on by demands for better economic opportunities after the release of the national budget for the upcoming year.
The protests that rocked Iran in the last couple of weeks were too spontaneous to have yet found their own artistic accompaniment but the first signs of that are appearing. A few well-known Iranian artists abroad recorded a cover of a Persian rock favorite, “Shayad,” to show their solidarity. Numerous actors, writers and musicians, in Iran and abroad, have also declared solidarity by signing petitions or tweeting in support of the protests.
But here I want to write about the reactions of two towering figures of Iranian literature and cinema: Mahmood Dowlatabadi and Asghar Farhadi. One simply criticized the burning of the flag, even as his poetry was shared online as commentary on what was at stake in the protests. The other offered support for those fighting for a better Iran.
‘Oh homeland! What children, what generation will see you free and proud’
Mahmood Dowlatabadi is arguably the greatest living novelist writing in the Persian language. Dowlatbadi is often derided by his colleagues for his conservative attitudes and for having left the Association of Iranian Writers (AIW), which is more steadfast in its opposition to the undemocratic practices of the Islamic Republic.
This is sometimes unfair as Dowlatabadi is a victim of censorship himself and does occasionally raise a voice in protest. Last month, in the final ceremony of a literary award named after novelist Ahmad Mahmood, Dowlatabadi reminded the audience that some of Mahmood’s novels are not allowed publication while the authorities don’t stop the circulation of their pirated versions.
“You are hostile to some writers. This hostility is totally individual and on your part,” Dowlatabadi said. “You have become cultural authorities and you ban the works of Ahmad Mahmood. Go and see in what conditions the writer of ‘My Uncle Napoleon’ lives. Have you ever asked yourself who publishes his books?” referring to Paris-based Iraj Pezeshkzad, who would be a millionaire if he received royalties for the tens of thousands of pirated copies of his novel that remains banned in Iran.
Dowlatabadi caused controversy when, on the sidelines of a conference on his works in Tehran, he limited his remarks on the protests to condemning the burning of the Iranian flag, which was done by fringe elements in the protests. Some argued it felt as if he was siding with the authorities.
واكنش محمود دولتآبادی به آتش زدن پرچم ایران:
«شنیدهام کسانی پرچم ما را پایین کشیدهاند؛ خیلی احساس اهانت کردم. این کار زشت را نکوهش میکنم. اصلا قابل فهم نیست.» pic.twitter.com/Cb9x4XJahQ— امید توشه (@tousheh) January 4, 2018
The reaction of Mahmood Dowlatabadi to the setting on fire of the flag: I have heard people have pulled our flag down. I have really felt this insult. I condemn this ugly act. It is not understandable at all.
The writer did not clarify his meaning or if he intended to appear to be against the protests, or merely against the act of burning the nations flag. But the old novelist might not have known that many Iranians, on social media and in their private conversations, would take an old poem of his and repurpose it to express their hopes and anxieties in the wake of protests:
