Ganji's Heroism vs Indifference of Others

Rooz Online:

It has been 92 days since Akbar Ganji was moved into a solidarity confinement cell, for the umpteenth time. In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Ganji's wife Masoumeh Shafiee complains about the negligence of different figures that she refers to as “others”. Her simple words consist of all the ideas that dishonest people merely repeat. Her heart is broken but her morale is higher than ever. She believes her husband is paying a high price for what others were not ready to pay.

Here are the excerpts of Rooz’s interview with Mrs. Shafiee: READ MORE

Rooz ®: Based on what you are told, how many months are left in Ganji's imprisonment? Masoumeh Shafiee (MSH): He was sentenced to 6 years ending on March 21st. He also has a 9 months suspended sentence. But they have also threatened that they will raise new charges against him. I have no idea what will happen next. It’s not like we can be optimistic and happy that Ganji will be released in three months. I have not seen him for 16 days now. Our concerns continue to grow with the different things that we hear. They are not letting me see him, so I am not sure what have they done to him.

R: When is the next meeting?MSH: They never tell. They called us for a visit 10 days ago, we showed up there with Ganji's old mother who had traveled here from afar in the cold but they didn't allow us to meet with him. The last time that I saw him he looked terrible. He was like a skeleton, just skin and bones. They don't feed him, and they have put him under all kinds of pressure, psychological and physical torture. They keep him in a cold cell and don't feed him. I am very worried that they may physically torture him again. If I am voicing my concerns in public, it is because I am scared that a disaster may occur. These people will not accept any responsibility and care less. Zahra Kazemi, the victim of the serial murders is an example of the kind of things these people may do. All these anguished, tortured students in prison are other examples of the same state of affairs, and even worse. And let’s not forget that they continue to do whatever they wish Ganji even though there is an international spotlight on him. Others are not as fortunate, and so they treat them worse. I am happy Ganji is known and supported otherwise he would have been long dead by now. Even though the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is personally following up his case, there is no guarantee that he will be released. Sometimes I think they may sacrifice Ganji and others in their political deals. If Ganji and others are forgotten we will not be able to do anything at all.

R: What about the support of high profile reformers? Do they want to help, can they?MSH: Calling Ganji a hero translates into inactivity by others. You can not claim to be an intellectual and announce goals without taking any real steps to bring abut change. When a political activist sets goals and announces them he has to stand up for them and act. I do not expect all of them to come and jeopardize their lives like Ganji has, but I expect them to keep the issue alive by writing, announcing, condemning, etc. this is not just the responsibility of an intellectual, but of any human being. Fighting torture, injustice, violence, and oppression. Any good thing for mankind has a price. Democracy and freedom are just examples. Had people stood up against these abuses, we would not have had the Amir Entezams, Saeed Soltanpours, the students, Masoud Bastani, and others.