A Free Spirit

by NAVA NAZIFI

Dear Mona, you taught me that a person’s true freedom lies within their heart and it cannot be taken away from them by any means. You had that freedom within you and no one could take that away, even by killing you. In your will, you asked us to pray for you. You needed it, you said. But I am writing now to ask you to pray for us because we need it even more than you. Sadly, many of us do not feel the freedom you felt inside yourself. You accepted your faith with all your heart and put your trust in God in a way that many of us have not yet been able to do.

We need you to pray for us because we need to be braver and more steadfast. I think that most of us could not do what you did. Still, you showed us how a person, alone and unaided, can triumph over oppression. I wonder what your reaction would be if you were here in Iran now and could see what has happened during these past few months of protest? When you lived, you were brave and said what needed to be said even though you knew no one would actually listen. If you were here now, I am sure that you would have written another beautiful and mind-opening essay, just like the one you wrote for your teacher, and you would have published it, accepting the risk.

When I was younger and first heard about you, I did not think much about your death. To me, your execution was just another crime against the Bahá’ís committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. But now, after experiencing grief for those brave souls who were killed during the recent protests, I have gained a new perspective. You have become a real person to me. I am crying as I write this, just as I did when I read your will. I was so touched to learn that your last words were words of encouragement to others to put their trust in God and not be sad.

When I was researching your life, to learn more about what you felt and said, I came across two pictures of your room. Seeing your room with those blue curtains and your bed with its cushions and then the poster of a lake on the wall above it, sent me diving into a river of thoughts. I immediately pictured us talking in your room. I realized that you must have had many hopes and dreams for your future, just like me. But you were willing to give them up for the sake of your beliefs.

Dear Mona, now that I have come to know you better, you have become a new role model for me. I have been inspired by your life story to be braver, not to stay silent but to speak out about the problems I see and face. I think many people need to hear about you. Perhaps it will help them wake up from their sleep? What people need to understand is that having a free spirit is a choice and nobody can take a person’s beliefs away from them.