WOMEN LED MOVEMENT by Sherry Sajadpour
On Saturday, October 29th, the day of “Cyrus the Great" I was wondering about the irony of this legend. He was the visionary leader who established the FIRST, yes, the first Declaration of Human Rights in the world more than 2,500 years ago in Iran. He practiced tolerance of religion for all faiths within the Persian empire and wrote the first International Charter of Human Rights. One of his popular quotes: " Success should always call for showing greater kindness, generosity, and justice; only people lost in the darkness treat it as an occasion for greater greed." - Cyrus the Great 600–530 BC
Yet in the 21st century in the same land, Iranian women and girls are fighting for their rights, something as basic as the right to decide what to wear or not to wear! It seems unfathomable to some of us that not covering your hair is a crime. Even worse, there's an organization named Morality Police whose only charge is to control women and how they dress; women are even penalized for dancing, singing, writing, and so on and so forth…
More than 40 days have passed since #MahsaAmini’s death, a 22-year-old girl severely beaten for not wearing her hijab properly; her death catalyzed one of the largest and most sustained uprisings in Iran in a generation, mobilizing thousands of supporters globally. The slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom!” is being used across the world. As an Iranian American woman, I ask of you to please stand with me in solidarity for all women demonstrating their fundamental human rights to amplify their voices. #womenlifefreedom #womenrights
The JEDI voices in me say please be mindful of your Iranian employees, colleagues, and friends who live miles away from their families and loved ones who are going through a rough time as they hopelessly follow the news of violence, imprisonment, and death of innocent people in their home country. We may go about our lives, get the work done, and smile, but these are extremely difficult times. Simple gestures of empathy give us hope.
And finally, the Architect in me leaves you with a masterpiece #FreedomSculpture by Cecile Balmonde, modeled after the Cyrus Cylinder, symbolizing religious freedom, cultural diversity, and inclusiveness. If you get a chance to visit LA check it out! https://freedomsculpture.org/
