Friday, April 01, 2005

The Dangerous Path

I can vividly remember the Commemoration of the Iranian Student Movement 2 years ago in Toronto. Many came, mostly young people. I burst into tears when I was acknowledging the help of the community and the attention that the media brought to the event. Back then, we didn’t know that Kazemi had died in the Iranian Police custody.

Kazemi was a journalist like many others who are killed every year drawing a vivid picture of human rights violations around the world. Moreover, she was an Iranian woman who immigrated to Canada years ago, but never broke away from her roots and went back to photograph the student movement.

Knowing how Kazemi died, only brings more pain to those who try hard to clear the name of the Iranian nation. Knowing who killed her won’t bring her back or stop the violence against journalists.

However, recognizing that we need to keep her memory alive, we can encourage and support the motivated young people, who are willing to follow this dangerous but sacred path.

I think launching a prestigious award (U of T scholarship) in her name for a student (of journalism, political science, law, etc) who has made a significant contribution to human rights through an internship, volunteer work or field research is not a political move but a humanitarian and honourable effort.

Let’s hope our community still has the courage to take a step forward in making a difference.

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