We are more than a lonely crowd

Omid Reza Mir Sayafi’s arrest, trial, and worst of all, his death in a prison in Tehran was a real shock to me and many other bloggers and even non-bloggers. However, despite his death on March 18, 2009, under suspicious circumstances, what really tortured my soul has been the deadly silence about his case. Except for a few posts here and there in Persian or English, Omid Reza’s persecution and death did not attract much attention. We can endlessly speculate of course on the reasons for this indifference; he was not a celebrity, nor was he connected to the media world or to any specific organization.

It is unbelievable and sad that thousands of bloggers in and outside of Iran, who write about human rights, freedom of speech, and social issues, chose to ignore the persecution of one of their own, an Iranian blogger who shared his opinions about Iranian society and culture on a blog and whose visitors were largely insignificant. Omid Reza’s fate shows that as soon as you open your mouth and publish your post, you can become a target and one that exists way beyond your own influence and impact.

Omid Reza was a voiceless blogger and a victim of the highway of information where real threats and repressive means can make the virtual and real existence of any blogger painful and sometimes very short.

Unfortunately, talking now and shredding tears will not bring Omid Reza back to life. His blog is not going to be updated.

However, making March 18 a cornerstone date to raise awareness about jailed and persecuted bloggers around the world is a hopeful act. It will hopefully prevent more bloggers from having to face the tragic fate of Omid Reza.

Honestly, for me, March 18 is a day that we should all remember to honor persecuted bloggers around the world, honouring the memory of Omid Reza’, and findindg creative, effective ways to support all jailed bloggers.

As Esra’a Al Shafei, co-founder of March 18 Movement says “we need to recognize all bloggers regardless of their nationality, personal opinions, or whether or not they are international figures. We have to be aware of every little crime that takes place against any blogger around the world, even if they are largely unknown. Because Omid’s case shows us that the most vicious crime takes place against those unknown bloggers that even we are mostly unaware of. And this has to change, fast, and this is the primary mission of March 18 Movement.”

The March 18 Movement at least is not merely an altruist act to protect and support fellow bloggers. It is a preemptive and protective act as well. The huge weight of corporations and authoritairan states, one day can smash me too. One never knows. But at least at that terrible moment, I won’t be alone, The March 18 Movement will be there to remember me and become my voice to others around the world. As bloggers, we must become more than just a ‘lonely crowd’.

- Hamid Tehrani

This entry was posted on Friday, May 29th, 2009 at 11:12 am and is filed under March 18, Movement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.