For an honest person sadegh ziba kalam

Mohammad Kianush Rad

From the moment I got to know Dr. Zibakalam, it was clear what his main issue was: in our repressive society, it was his honesty, clarity, courage, and freedom of thought, speech, and action.

In our first interaction, his liberty, honesty, quest for justice, and humility were evident. He engaged with all students—left, right, secular, Hezbollah supporters, opponents, and supporters—with kindness and openness.

At the same time, he critically stood against extremism and confronted the faction that hid behind the guise of religion and the system.

Following the campaigns of that reactionary and monopolistic faction, which has only grown stronger at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Tehran, they employed various tactics to expel Professor Dr. Seyed Javad Tabatabai, depriving the university of a great scholar.

In this context, even some renowned professors, despite being deeply affected and opposed, chose to remain silent, and no voice was heard from them.

It was only Dr. Zibakalam who officially took a stand, condemning this action by writing a statement and sending it to the authorities. He also expressed his criticism and opposition to the notion of "Islamizing the humanities," which was the pretext for the expulsion of professors and continues to be.

His realistic defense of Hashemi Rafsanjani did not go unnoticed by the leftist faction of that time and some current reformists, who often attacked him with various labels. They failed to understand him.

At that time, the left was a staunch critic of Hashemi Rafsanjani's economic and political policies, assuming he must have some secret dealings with him to speak favorably. However, years later, he visited Hashemi.

Frankly, Dehbashis's poignant words served as a wake-up call to everyone, especially reformists. Times have become dire. We live in a state of numbness. The wave of arrests and imprisonments has become ordinary for many, and defending the basic rights of political prisoners has turned into a major crime. We do not even hear a sympathetic word from the reformist candidates.

Our hope has now turned into despair.

Everything has become normal, and the news of families suffering from the imprisonment and house arrest of our freedom fighters is just another piece of news, not very significant.

Politicians say little about Mir Hossein, Rahnaward, and Karroubi, or about Tajzadeh, Zibakalam, Saeed Madani, and Nargess Mohammadi... Even reformist candidates do not see defending those imprisoned as their duty.

The one who today, in the midst of the electoral arena, says, "Do not expect the impossible from me," and claims that various tasks do not fall within his responsibilities, what will he say and do tomorrow? I will refrain from further comments on other matters for now.

Some, with optimism or naivety, see every statement as an obstacle to their narrow path to freedom. They implicitly suggest that one should accommodate the powerful to open a way for them. They say, "Do not speak, or at least remain silent for now, so that the dead end may open."

I wish freedom for Mostafa Tajzadeh, Saeed Madani, the unjustly imprisoned, and for Dr. Sadegh Zibakalam, whose crime was revealing truths. I pray to the Merciful Avenger for his health and liberation.

Representative of the Sixth Term of the Islamic Consultative Assembly