Maziar Bahari

Maziar Bahari
Maziar Bahari
Born May 25, 1967 (1967-05-25) (age 44)
Tehran, Iran
Occupation Filmmaker and Journalist
Official website

Maziar Bahari (مازیار بهاری, (born 1967) is an Iranian Canadian journalist, film maker and human rights activist. [1] He was a reporter for Newsweek from 1998 to 2011. Bahari was incarcerated by the Iranian government from June 2009 to October 20, 2009,[2][3] and has written a New York Times best seller family memoir, Then They Came for Me.

Contents

Family and education

Bahari was born in Tehran, Iran but moved to Canada in 1988 to study film and political science. His family has been involved in dissent politics in Iran, his father was imprisoned by the shah's regime in the 1950s, and his sister Maryam under the revolutionary government of Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1980s.[4] He is married to Paola Gourley, an Italian-English lawyer working in London,[5] who gave birth to their first child in October 2009 shortly after his release from prison.[6]

Career

He graduated with a degree in communications from Concordia University in Montreal. Soon after, Bahari made his first film, The Voyage of the Saint Louis, about the attempt by 937 German Jewish refugees to escape Nazi Germany on that ship in 1939, who were turned away by both Cuba and the United States and ultimately forced to return to the Third Reich. In producing the film, Bahari became the first Muslim to make a film about the Holocaust. When asked what motivated him to make the film, he cited the courses he took at Concordia, where he:

studied the modern history of the Jews and I was fascinated by the history of the Jews in North America. I took a course on Freud and religion and the professor talked a lot about early 20th century anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Canada. I had no idea that even up until the 1950s Jews were discriminated against in North America, so I wanted to explore that further. As an immigrant, I was interested in the history of Jewish immigration from Europe to America. So I looked for a story to combine all these elements and came across the story of the St. Louis.

Later, while he was imprisoned in Iran the film "haunted" him, with his interrogators accusing him of being on a mission to work for Zionists. [7]

In 1997 Bahari began reporting in Iran and making independent documentaries, and in 1998 he became Newsweek magazine's Iran correspondent.[8]

He has produced a number of other documentaries and news reports for Channel 4, BBC and other broadcasters around the world on subjects as varied as private lives of Ayatollahs, African architecture, Iranians' passion for football and contemporary history of Iran. In 2003, Harvard Film Archive praised Bahari's work for, "In a country known for neorealist fiction films that focus on small events in the lives of individuals, the work of Iranian director Maziar Bahari is somewhat anomalous. Employing a traditional documentary style to explore more far-reaching cultural events, Bahari’s films provide a glimpse inside contemporary Iranian culture as they reveal the human element behind the headlines and capture cultural truths through the lens of individual experience. Representing a new generation of young Iranian filmmakers, Bahari’s trenchant looks at social issues in his country have brought both controversy and international acclaim." [9]

Bahari's films have won several awards and nominations including an Emmy in 2005. [10] A retrospective of Bahari's films was organized in November 2007 by the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[11] In September 2009, Bahari was nominated by Desmond Tutu for the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, widely known as Spain's Nobel Prize.[12]

Arrest, imprisonment, release

On the morning of June 21 2009, during the 2009 Iranian Election Protests, Bahari was arrested at his family's home in Tehran and taken to Evin Prison.[13] In July, while incarcerated, he appeared [14] in a televised confession (broadcast internationally by PressTV[15]) telling his interviewer that Western journalists worked as spies[16]; that he had covered "illegal demonstrations" and "illegal gatherings", and was helping promote a "colour revolution" (i.e. peaceful, democratic regime-change).[17][18]

His confession was dismissed by his family, his colleagues, and Reporters Without Borders, saying that it must have come under duress. Outside Iran, an international campaign to free him was headed by his wife and included petitions launched by Committee to Protect Journalists, the Index on Censorship, International PEN, and groups of documentary filmmakers.[19] Newsweek ran full-page advertisements in several major newspapers calling for his release.[8] US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke publicly of his case.[2] [3][20]

On October 20, after 118 days[21] in jail, Bahari was released on $300,000 bail, charged with 11 counts of espionage. He was allowed to leave the country and return to London days before the birth of his daughter.[22]

Post-imprisonment

After his release Bahari recounted his time in prison in interviews and writings. He appeared on a segment of the television news program 60 Minutes[23] and was the subject of an article in Newsweek.[24] Bahari stated he confessed for television after physical and psychological torture. He was held in solitary confinement, interrogated daily (either blindfolded or made to face away from his interrogator),[21] threatened with execution, and repeatedly slapped, kicked, punched, and hit with a belt by his interogator.[25] Bahari's interrogator told him they knew he (Bahari) "was working for four different intelligence agencies: the CIA, Mossad, MI6 and Newsweek." Bahari (who vehemently denies spying on Iran) believes it was desperation to find "any evidence to prove I was a spy" that led his captors to believe his providing Jason Jones and his producer with a list of Iranians they could talk to in Iran, was evidence of his being a spy. (Bahari provided such a list shortly before he was interviewed by Jones, [26] a correspondent of The Daily Show, who dressed up as a spy as a joke for the story.)[16]

In interviews Bahari stated that his interrogator told him not to talk about what happened to him in prison, as the Revolutionary Guards have "people all around the world and they can always bring me back to Iran in a bag". Bahari has stated that he will not be able to safely return to Iran until the Islamic Republic falls.[23]

Campaign for other jailed Prisoners in Iran

Upon his release Bahari launched a campaign in support of other jailed journalists in Iran. The name of the campaign [27] — Our Future Society will be a Free Society — was inspired by a quote from the leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. [28] In an International Herald Tribune op-ed to launch the campaign Bahari wrote to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "You may feel safe in your modest house, protected by thousands of revolutionary guards. But beyond them the world is changing. Iran is changing. In 1978, as the shah was doing his best to stifle his people, Ayatollah Khomeini promised that 'in an Islamic Iran the media will have the freedom to express all Iran’s realities and events.' Hoping they could realize that promise, Iranians rose up and overthrew the shah. Ayatollah Khamenei, those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it." [29]

Press TV vs Maziar Bahari

After his release Bahari launched a complaint against Iranian government's English satellite channel, Press TV, for filming and airing an interview with him under duress. Press TV had interviewed several prisoners in the past, including Sakineh Ashtiani [30], but had been cleared by Ofcom, British broadcasting regulator.[31] In May 2011, Ofcom upheld Bahari's three complaints against Press TV. In summary Ofcom said Press TV's presentation of Bahari was unfair because it "omitted material facts and was placed in a context in which inferences adverse to Mr Bahari could be drawn". The media regulator also said that Press TV failed to get his consent and this "contributed to the overall unfairness to Mr Bahari in the item broadcast". Ofcom added that filming and broadcasting the interview without consent "while he was in a sensitive situation and vulnerable state was an unwarranted infringement of Mr Bahari's privacy". [15]

Upon the release of Ofcom's findings, Press TV launched a campaign against Bahari and Ofcom. Bahari was accused of being a "an MI6 contact person" [32] taking guidance from "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, protocol #7" [33] Press TV called Ofcom's ruling "part of an anti-Iranian campaign," and that "A quick look at senior decision makers at OFCOM demonstrates that the regulator is mostly made up of former Channel4 and BBC executives, some of whom are well-linked to and influenced by powerful pro-Israeli politicians." [34] [35]

Filmography

  • Paint! No Matter What, 1999 (about artist Khosrow Hassanzadeh)
  • Of Shames and Coffins (about Aids in South Africa)
  • Mohammad and the Matchmaker (about an HIV+ man's search for love in Iran)
  • Football, Iranian Style (about Iranian passion for soccer)
  • And Along Came a Spider (about a serial killer in Iran)
  • Targets: Reporters in Iraq (about post traumatic stress disorder among journalists working in Iraq)
  • Greetings from Sadr City (about life in the Baghdad suburb during the war)
  • A Cult that would be an Army (about terrorist group Mujaheddin Khalgh of Iran)
  • The Fall of a Shah (about the history of the Iranian Revolution)
  • An Iranian Odyssey (about the CIA-backed 1953 coup in Iran)

Then They Came for Me (Book)

Main article: Then They Came for Me

Bahari has written a New York Times Best Seller family memoir, Then They Came for Me. The book has been called "incredible" by Jon Stewart of The Daily Show who is working with Bahari on a film based on the book. [1] Doug Saunders of The Globe and Mail called the book “Moving and, at times, very funny which offers a number of lessons about the way Middle Eastern politics work.” [36] Leslie Scrivener of The Toronto Star explained “Then They Came for Me is a gripping story that weaves his family’s history of incarceration by Iranian rulers with his own.” [37] Mother Jones magazine said that “Then They Came for Me is not only a fascinating, human exploration into Bahari's personal experience but it also provides insight into the shared experience of those affected by repressive governments everywhere.” [38] Kirkus Reviews praised the book for “Providing an illuminating glimpse into the security apparatus of one of the world’s most repressive countries. Especially timely given recent events throughout the Middle East, this book is recommended for anyone wishing to better understand the workings of a police state.” [39]

References

  1. ^ a b . http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-6-2011/exclusive---maziar-bahari-extended-interview-pt--1. 
  2. ^ a b "Newsweek: Journalist detained in Iran now in UK". Associated Press. 2009-10-20. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5LLg8-1YoJsU_Gb3cT9t8Ylbe0AD9BF22G00. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  3. ^ a b "Newsweek Reporter Maziar Bahari Released in Iran". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/218283. Retrieved 2009-10-20. 
  4. ^ `If You Think That’s Painful ...’ by Maziar Bahari| June 26, 2011
  5. ^ Waiting for Maziar| by Christopher Dickey| August 04, 2009
  6. ^ 'Then They Came For' Journalist Maziar Bahari| 3 June 2011
  7. ^ Nadine Epstein (July/August 2011). "118 Days in Iran's Evin Prison". Moment Magazine. http://www.momentmag.com/. Retrieved June 30, 2011. 
  8. ^ a b Stelter, Brian (2009-08-03). "Newsweek Steps Up Effort to Free Reporter in Iran". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/business/media/04journalist.html. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  9. ^ . http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2003mayjun/bahari.html. 
  10. ^ . http://www.rorypecktrust.org/page/3047/Maziar+Bahari/26. 
  11. ^ "Global Writers and Filmmakers Call for Bahari's Release". Newsweek. 2009-07-17. http://www.newsweek.com/id/207315?from=rss. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  12. ^ "Free Maziar Bahari". New York Times. 2009-09-08. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/opinion/09wed3.html. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  13. ^ . http://www.newsweek.com/2009/06/20/newsweek-reporter-arrested.html. 
  14. ^ Gravshon, Michael; Magratten, Drew (2009-11-22). "Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention". 60 Minutes. CBS News. pp. 2–3. Archived from the original on 2009-12-01. http://www.webcitation.org/5lgs9JfvF. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  15. ^ a b Sweney, Mark (23 May 2011). "Iran's Press TV censured for interview with arrested journalist". London: Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/23/iran-press-tv-maziar-bahari. Retrieved 2011-07-09. 
  16. ^ a b Bahari, Maziar. "Newsweek Reporter's Ordeal in Iran". Newsweek. p. 5. Archived from the original on 2009-12-01. http://www.webcitation.org/5lgsqODyd. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  17. ^ Erdbrink, Thomas; William Branigin (2009-07-01). "Iran's Leadership Cautions Against Protest After Certification of Vote Results". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063002105.html. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  18. ^ Canwest News Service (2009-10-20). "Journalist Maziar Bahari released from Iranian jail". canada.com. Archived from the original on 2009-12-01. http://www.webcitation.org/5lgsUUPdu. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  19. ^ Waiting for Maziar, by Christopher Dickey| August 04, 2009
  20. ^ ‘Everyone Has Forgotten You’, by Christopher Dickey|October 22, 2009
  21. ^ a b Dickey, Christopher (2009-10-22). "‘Everyone Has Forgotten You’". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/219034. Retrieved 2009-10-25. 
  22. ^ Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention| cbsnews.com| 22 November 2009
  23. ^ a b 60 Minutes on Bahari's imprisonment
  24. ^ "118 Days, 12 Hours, 54 Minutes"
  25. ^ Newsweek's Bahari Recalls Iran Detention, cbsnes.com| 22 November 2009
  26. ^ "A Year Later, Journalist Reflects On Iranian Unrest". NPR. 2010-06-15. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127833007&ft=1&f=13. Retrieved 2010-07-08. 
  27. ^ . http://www.cpj.org/2010/04/cpj-impact-15.php. 
  28. ^ . http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=79690. 
  29. ^ Bahari, Maziar (2010-02-10). "Let My Colleagues Go". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/opinion/10iht-edbahari.html. 
  30. ^ . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj49BSvGpFM. 
  31. ^ "Ofcom clears Iranian TV station over woman's murder reconstruction". The Guardian (London). 2011-03-23. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/23/ofcom-iranian-tv-murder-reconstruction. 
  32. ^ . http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181242.html. 
  33. ^ . http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181711.html. 
  34. ^ . http://www.presstv.ir/detail/187554.html. 
  35. ^ . http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184355.html. 
  36. ^ Saunders, Doug (2011-07-02). "Tossing information grenades over Middle Eastern walls - The Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/tossing-information-grenades-over-middle-eastern-walls/article2082512/. 
  37. ^ Scrivener, Leslie (2011-06-17). "Black comedy in an Iranian prison". The Star (Toronto). http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/1010990--black-comedy-in-an-iranian-prison/. 
  38. ^ . http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/06/bahari-then-they-came-for-me-review. 
  39. ^ . http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/non-fiction/maziar-bahari/then-they-came-me/. 

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