
Sacrificing justice to preserve the system; with a look at the case of Zahra Navidpour/ Qahraman Ganbari.
This is not a complete sentence and cannot be translated accurately. Please provide a complete sentence for translation.
“Qahraman Qanbari” translates to “Hero Qanbari”.
The body of Ms. Zahra Navidpour, who had accused Salman Khodadadi, the head of the Social Commission of the tenth parliament, of sexual assault, was found on the sixteenth day of Dey month at her mother’s house. Salman Khodadadi, who was previously the commander of Sepah-e-Molkhan, the director of the Ardabil Province Intelligence Office, the deputy director of the East Azerbaijan Province Intelligence Office, and a five-time representative of Molkhan people in the parliament, has a one-month detention in his record for the charge of sexual assault against his secretary and one of his clients in the seventh parliament. The Guardian Council had rejected his eligibility to participate in the ninth parliament elections due to his close relationship with the moderate and reformist circles, and his selection as the advisor to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was for this reason.
If we want to briefly mention this tragic story – which breaks the heart of anyone with even the slightest conscience – we must mention one of the interviews of the late victim with the Hrana news agency one month before her suspicious death. In a note sent to Hrana on November 18th, Zahra Navidpour describes her suffering and darkness in this way: “No one is accountable for me and because of the threats from agents of Salman Khodadadi, I am homeless and have been knocking on doors in fear for my life. This country that claims to be an Islamic Republic, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards, the prosecutor, the Guardian Council, and members of parliament such as Larijani, Motahari, Hazrati, and Mrs. Salashoor are all aware of this, and they don’t care what will happen to me. They constantly praise and thank Salman Khodadadi for his promotion.” Mrs. Navidpour continues
In the first place, the late Navidpour had the right as an Iranian citizen to seek employment for his life and to turn to government officials and representatives of the ruling power to find a solution to his unemployment problem. It is the least duty of the government to think of finding a solution for the unemployment problem of its citizens and its consequences. Of course, at times, even in the most developed countries in the world, the government may not be able to help a job-seeking citizen find work. However, the government and those who represent it must listen to the words of the citizen with respect and human dignity, and even if they cannot satisfy him, they must explain to him that they are unable to help him in this particular matter, but they will try to speak about these problems in public policy and discussions with officials. If citizens are the source of power and legitimacy of a government system, that government cannot disrespect and trample on the human dignity of a vulnerable job-seeking citizen. The fact
There are certain matters and rights that fall under the concept of “Natural Law”, and as a human being, regardless of historical period, religion, country, and political system, one is the rightful owner of these rights and beliefs. One of the most fundamental natural rights of humans is the right to life and being protected from harm. This means that these rights are inherent and non-negotiable for all humans, even in a natural state without a formed government or a written legal system to impose laws on citizens. Not only women in Iran, but all women in the world are the owners of their own bodies, and in this way, every non-Iranian woman or man – whether temporarily living in Iran or seeking refuge there – their body, life, and mental well-being must be protected from harm. This natural right of “protection of life, property, and honor from harm” is universal and not limited to national borders. Here, the issue arises that half of the citizens of the
The current political system violates and surpasses this natural right in the most obvious way possible, depriving itself of legitimacy; because not only does it not promote and protect these natural rights, but it openly violates and surpasses them, as seen in the recent case of Salman Khodadadi. Another prominent example is Saeed Tusi, a famous Quran reciter who is still relatively young.
If we want to delve deeper into the discussion regarding current governance, it can be concluded that governance plays a fundamental role in protecting this natural right. The actual governance in Iran – both in speech and in writing – considers itself bound to the expansion of Islamic justice, as the late Navidpour questioned in his complaints. The founder of the Islamic Revolution, in his will which can be considered a manifesto of governance, wrote about the judiciary: “The judiciary is one of the important aspects of affairs that deals with people’s lives, property, and honor… I ask the Supreme Judicial Council to seriously reform the judiciary, which in the previous regime had become a source of shame and sorrow, and to remove the hands of those who play with people’s lives and property and do not care about Islamic justice from this important seat.” (2) Even the current leader of the Islamic Republic has emphasized in one of his speeches to the leaders of the judiciary that the Islamic Republic must be a sanctuary for the oppressed.
Ms. Navidpour, as a vulnerable citizen suffering from unemployment, has approached a city representative, introducing herself as a supporter of the revolution, Islam, and the leaders of the system, in hopes that they could assist her in finding a job so that she can continue her life with dignity. It is enough to take a brief look at the literature of the founder of the Islamic Republic and the current leader of the system to understand that the entire philosophy of establishing an active government is to help the oppressed, deprived, marginalized, and eradicate poverty in order to restore their human dignity. However, the head of the social commission, the director of security, and the advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of this system, who introduces himself as a staunch supporter of the revolution, lures one of these deprived individuals – who happens to be his daughter’s age – to his office with the promise of a job and shamelessly sexually assaults her. In fact, we are faced with the issue that the ruling
Another important point in this case is that a large part of the daily routine of religious authorities, government officials, and ruling clerics is to command and forbid moral issues for the people to live according to their own claim of living with Islamic ethics. Essentially, one of the main reasons for the formation of Islamic government was the objection of religious people to the prevalence of non-religious morals, which supporters of Islamic government compared to the spread of Western animalistic life. For example, the leader of the revolution, clerics, and intellectuals affiliated with the government – who are employed in institutions such as the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution – always complain about the Western cultural invasion, which leads to the spread of Western-style life and the increase of immodesty. They demand that law enforcement officials use force to prevent the spread of this way of life. However, the blind eyes of this government, including Saeed Tousi and Hajj Dr. Salman Khodadadi, commit sexual abuse
In the end, one can conclude the writing with a heartache caused by helplessness and anger, which with all its gloom and despair says: “A country [can be described by the current system] that cannot ensure the safety of its women, must be destroyed. Do I not have any rights in this country?” Her voice, accompanied by the injustice that was inflicted upon her by the judicial system and the entire ruling power, is alone a clear evidence of the illegitimacy of the current system: a government that does not enforce justice for a woman in need of protection, what good is it?
Notes:
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The body of a young woman, accused by a member of parliament of “sexual assault,” was found / Documents, Hrana News Agency, 18 Dey month 1397.
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The Imam’s advice regarding the judiciary, the portal of Ayatollah Khomeini.
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Meeting of Judicial Officials with the Leader of the Revolution, Website of Ayatollah Khamenei.
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Exceed Islamic Consultative Assembly Monthly Peace Line Magazine peace line Qahraman Ganbari Salman Khodadadi Zahra Navidpour