Roozbeh Farahanipour

Roozbeh Farahanipour (born July 16, 1971 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian nationalist writer and journalist, cofounder of the Marze Por Gohar Party who escaped from Iran for exile in America in 2000 after being arrested for membership in Marze Por Gohar.

Overview

Farahanipour graduated from Raazi High School in Tehran and went on to study Law in the University.

From 1994 to 1998 he was the publisher and chief editor of the monthly "Vohooman" ("Pure Thoughts" in ancient Persian, one of the three major principals of Zoroastrianism) [ [http://www.marzeporgohar.org/index.php?l=2&cat=45&scat=81 “Vohooman”] ] , which was a journal dedicated to Iranian studies, with an emphasis on Zoroastrianism. During the same period, he founded the “Roozbeh Publishing” to further circulate research done in Iranology - Iranian studies with a focus on pre-Islamic Iran.

Shortly after "Vohooman" was banned, he became the chief editor of the weekly "Nedayeh Ghomess" (The call of Ghomess”. Ghomess was one of the capitals of ancient Iran). Under his editorship, five issues of this journal were published. Upon his attempt to publish the names of 57 people who were victims of the serial murders, he was prevented from further activity by the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of Iran and elements affiliated with the government.

On July 8, 1998, Farahanipour, along with some of his Nationalist peers organized the “Hezbeh Marzeh Por-Gohar” [ [http://www.marzeporgohar.org Marze Por Gohar Party] ] [The name was taken from the first line of “O’ Iran” National Anthem. (O Iran, O Glorious Frontiers). Though it has not been the official National Anthem of Iran for decades (neither under the Shah nor under the rule of the Islamic Republic), it is still popular among many. It praises the land and its people rather than a particular ruler or ideology.] and “The National Society of Journalists”. He was a member of the executive committees in both organizations. These organizations maintained a strong belief in remaining independent from the government and faced opposition, threats and even violence from militias affiliated with Ministries of Guidance, Information and Interiors of the Islamic Republic.

In the pro-democracy movement of July 1999, the Marze Por Gohar Party, with the leadership of Farahanipour, was highly active. The Ministry of Intelligence proclaimed the Marze Por Gohar Party as an “illegal Party” and denounced Farahanipour as “one of the leaders of the unrest”.

On July 14, 1999, Farahanipour’s house was raided by armed Islamic Militias. He and twelve comrades from the GF Party and two Afghan guests were arrested. He spent 26 days in solitary confinement while being interrogated by Ministry of Intelligence and the revolutionary court. He was released on 50,000,000 Rials bail, paid with the deed to a fellow Iranians house.

After eleven months between interrogations and the courts, and considering the fate of other activists, all of whom received unusually long sentences, he decided to leave Iran. Until his escape from Iran, he continued writing, legally and illegally.

In conjunction with his journalistic endeavors, he spent two years restoring “Bayan-Olhagh”, which was written by Mirza Mohammad Sadegh Fakhroleslam, using walnut and snake skin. [“Bayan-Olhagh” is a book of philosophy in Persian estimated to be 400 years old. Literally translated the title means “Speaking the Truth”. ] He has published many articles in Iranian papers and has attended various publishing conferences and exhibitions including “The Iranology Congress” in Australia. [ [http://www.marzeporgohar.org/index.php?l=2&cat=45&scat=81 “Vohooman”] ]

In America, Farahanipour has opposed engagement by the U.S. with the Islamic Republic which he believes can’t reform itself into a democracy. [ [http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-farahanipour052203.asp NRO, May 22, 2003, "The Mullahs Can’t Reform. U.S. diplomacy needs to face reality." By Roozbeh Farahanipour] ]

Works

He has written and published:

*"Standards of Bindery" - in two volumes

* "Who is a dictator" - was published in the spring of 2000. After only one week it went into a second edition. The illustrations of this book were done by Davood Ahmadi Mouness, (a well known political cartoonist with the pen name “Arvin”). Though this book was written and illustrated for children, it was categorized as “new literature in political studies”, by reviewers.

From the same series the following books have never been published:

* "What is a pressure group"
* "Serial Murders"
* "A playful lizard known as Messbah Yazdi" [Messbah Yazdi is a representative of the Supreme Leader in the Assembly of Experts, and a staunch fundamentalist cleric.]
* "Hassani, a bouquet of many flowers" [a reference to Hojatoleslam Hassani, leader of the Friday Prayers and a representative of the Supreme Leader in the city of Urumiyeh, in the province of Azarbaijan. Staunch fundamentalist cleric and a supporter of Messbah Yazdi.]

* "The forever Persian-Gulf"
* "The history of Iran’s partition, simplified"
* "Nikbanoo, an Iranian Princess"

ee also

* Marze Por Gohar
* Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran

References

External links

* [http://www.marzeporgohar.org/ Marze Por Gohar Party]