A letter from Iran

Written By Abby Murray

Dear Collateral editors,

A while ago I received an email from you, the subject of which was the process of art in times of crisis. Today, after about a month, I have the opportunity to respond to your email, and I want you to know that the reason for the delay in responding is that in the past month, one of the most heinous crimes against humanity has occurred in my country, Iran, where more than 36,500 people were massacred in just two days.

About a month ago, the Iranian people, who had peacefully taken to the streets to protest the current state of the country (which is the result of a 47-year dictatorship of a religious system), were brutally attacked by the Islamic Republic’s repressive system consisting of counter-insurgency forces and paramilitary forces under the control of the government. In this one-sided confrontation, on January 8th and 9th alone, more than 36,500 defenseless people were killed with live ammunition, 330,000 were injured, of whom 16,500 were blinded, and tens of thousands were arrested and taken to unknown locations. Based on the experience of similar cases in Iran in previous years, many of those arrested are at risk of summary executions. But the story does not end there. The government’s mercenaries even attacked hospitals and kidnapped the wounded from within them. Many of the wounded were shot in the head again, both on the street and in hospitals, to ensure their death—crimes that are not seen even between warfighting countries. Government forces even opened fire on protesters who had raised their hands in surrender.

It may be hard to believe, but the bodies will only be returned to the families if they pay for the bullets that killed their loved ones. As I write this letter to you, many families have not yet been able to receive the bodies of their loved ones.

The government does not even allow the families of the victims to hold funerals.

To prevent the spread of news about this crime, the Islamic regime completely cut off the internet for 528 hours. This made it difficult or even impossible to send and receive information, especially abroad. When the internet was partially connected, people gradually published horrific images and videos of these events on the internet. Images that, just watching one of them, are enough to change a person’s life forever. In one of the most heartbreaking videos, we see a father searching for his dead son among the pile of corpses, calling his name. In this image, we see bodies being transported in containers and left in an open space. Families are forced to search for their loved ones for hours among the bodies in order to find them.

The killing of more than 36,000 people in just two days is not something that can be easily overcome. Such a crime has been unprecedented in recent decades, and even in wars that have taken place in recent years, such figures cannot be seen.

The painful thing is that there is almost no acceptable response from the international community to this issue, and heads of state and the United Nations are content with giving ineffective statements or expressions of sympathy.

Let’s return to the question: Can art have a process in such circumstances?

While the streets smell of blood and bodies are piled up on top of each other, and everywhere you look you see a painful image of this tragedy, can art even be thought of?

Can art have something to say in the face of this amount of violence by a dictator? Can art heal the pain of those who have lost their loved ones? Can art be a balm for the wounded soul of society?

The painful answer for someone like me, who has spent my entire life in the cause of art, is No.

I wish it weren’t so, but I must admit that I feel helpless in the face of what has happened.

Now, I ask you, as the editors of this magazine, to be the voice of the Iranian people and to convey this crime to your audience to the best of your ability.

Without a doubt, many aspects of these events will remain hidden for years to come. There are still many people whose situations are unknown, and any effort of support, however small, from members of the international community can prevent many more tragedies.

In the hope of a day when we will no longer witness such tragedies.

With great respect,

……..

Abby Murray
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