Fariba Kamalabadi’s Letter to Her Beautiful Daughter the Bride

, , 13 Comments

Source: www.roozonline.com

Translation by Iran Press Watch

Thursday 27 November, 2014

Mother prominently absent from daughter’s wedding

Fariba Kamalabadi, who has been sentenced to twenty years of prison for being a  member of the Baha’i Yaran (informal leaders of the Baha’is of Iran − the “Friends”), has not been given permission to attend her daughter’s wedding.  This mother, who has spent the past seven years in prison, has not been given a single day’s leave so far.  Mrs. Kamalabadi had even requested to be present at the wedding ceremony of Taraneh, her daughter, with hand cuffs, but her request was denied − hence the attendance of the mother at her daughter’s wedding was instead replaced by a letter, the text of which has been provided to Roozonline.  In this letter, which was read at the wedding ceremony, she spoke of her suffering and asked: “What are they afraid of that leads them to not allow a mother to attend her own child’s wedding?

The text of the letter is as follows:

a6307b3a8d

My Taraneh, my beautiful bride

At this moment, in which I am holding a pen and writing, a sea of joy is stirring within me, waves of delight are pounding on the shore of my heart.  Some may believe that pain and suffering are continuously accompanied by sorrow and grief, but this is not the case.  It is possible to fly in a limitless sea of joy, and fly in the blissful skies while at the height of pain and suffering.  What is this pain and what is this joy?

This pain is the pain of being apart, the pain of a mother being far from her child for these many years, without the aid of the tongue which creates loving poetry for her. In her thoughts has held her tight and given her warmth; without the use of her eyes she has witnessed her growth, and now with the eye of the soul she is observing her all elegant and graceful in a white wedding gown.

This pain is the pain of being apart, the pain of a child who has been separated from her mother, who without getting her fill of the right to have a mother has nevertheless grown and developed.  In bitter moments of life when she needed the warmth of a mother, she did not have her by her side. Now also, at these most glorious moments of her life, at her wedding ceremony, she finds her mother’s place empty.

This pain has a pleasant fragrance, because it is filled with the fine perfume of joy; this joy is the joy of a mother who finds her child to now be a graceful youth, determined and steadfast, her conduct serene, her choice extraordinary, her dreams lofty; and who admires her choice.

This joy is the joy of a child who discovers the meaning of being far from one’s mother, and who by taking steps in the path of service enriches this meaning − now hand in hand with Farid she threads the path of service steadfastly.

My dear Taraneh and Farid-

I know you will forgive me for my faults.  I know you will accept my excuse for not being present in these most joyful moments of your life.  You well know that I am with you with every fabric of my being, every cell of my existence, and my prayers fill the atmosphere of your ceremonies.  You are aware that I employed every effort in order to attend; you know I asked for leave to attend your wedding, and today after seven years of imprisonment, even on such a special occasion, they did not approve my request.  You are aware that upon rejection of my request for leave, I requested to be sent there for just a few hours with handcuffs, and accompanied by officials.  Even my cellmates submitted written requests to the officials in this regard.

Although the initial agreement with my request brought immense joy and hope, and you tried to change your plans and adjust to the new circumstances, after just a few days the request was rejected.  After this rejection was announced, when I left their office, they sent for me again and promised to consider my third request, which was to hold the wedding ceremony at Evin Prison.  Plans were approved to designate a room in the sentencing building for us to hold the ceremony with the attendance of a maximum of ten people, and I informed you of this final decision via a phone call.  Although you were saddened to hear that they rejected the idea of sending me to you, you nevertheless trusted the promise of those in charge regarding this last option, and clinging to this opportunity, you changed your plans to the new arrangements; however they finally informed me that they had rejected this third option as well − this is how I was deprived of being present at the most precious moment of one’s life.

Do you see the level of transparency in treating prisoners?  And what surreptitious torturous methods are employed?  As if they are dealing with a lifeless object such as a stone or a piece of wood such that no matter how you strike it, play with it or throw it here or there, it would not feel anything. (But they are deeply wrong − because at that time, it is not us but it is they, themselves, who are just as stones and pieces of wood, and devoid of any humane feelings, and hence are incapable of comprehending the profound feelings between a mother and her child.)

What are they afraid of? Are they afraid of a mother who has to spend twenty years of her life in prison only having committed the crime of believing in the Baha’i Faith, and who after having spent seven years in prison has to be deprived of participating in the wedding ceremony of her child just for a few hours?  My crime is the most beautiful crime in the whole world.  It is a crime of which not only I but all future generations will be proud.  It is a crime for which over the annals of history, all the saints and prophets have suffered great distress, as well as severe calamities due to the same crime.  My crime is to worship the One God, and to acknowledge the truth of all God’s religions.   My crime is to work to bring about the principle of the unity of mankind, and universal peace.   My crime is to cultivate a longing to serve humanity in my mind, and a love for all human beings in my heart.  My crime is to make efforts to revive our sacred country, Iran, and to promote its honor and exaltation.

Let me tell you more about joy again, how with its radiance and unparalleled sparkle it renders any emanation of pain and suffering dim, and even banishes it altogether.

My lovely Taraneh- if you were seemingly deprived of the bounty of having a mother, you have instead been graced with an added blessing, of an even kinder mother, another Fariba who embraced you lovingly.  The same way that you have been blessed by the open embrace of many other mothers: Alia Zarinkar, Firooza Ouladi, Fariba Eshraghi, and many other dear ones, and now with an incapable pen, and inadequate words, honor their love and sacrifice.

Another reflection of joy and happiness is mine: Although I may have been deprived of my life with my two daughters, I have been honored by the presence of other beloved daughters here, of whom I and all of Iran and Iranians may well be proud.

Individuals with matchless nobility and capacities who have spent the days of their lives, their talents, and their youth in prison, in exchange for gaining pride and honor for our dear Iran.  This is the reality of our ideals:  The world must become one family, and human interactions become loving like the interactions between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and brothers and sisters.

November 2014

Evin Prison

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
 

13 Responses

  1. Lindi

    December 9, 2014 8:52 am

    May you have a blessed marriage and beautiful children. Prayers for you all, especially your noble and inspiring Mother. With love from Australia.

    Reply
  2. Lena Johansson

    December 9, 2014 3:43 pm

    No Words can express my feelings , even less in a foreig language.
    God bless you all !!!!
    Lena from Sweden

    Reply
  3. Mona

    December 9, 2014 11:52 pm

    Lots of prayers and warm aloha to you and your lovely family. Your family is an inspiration to us all.. Your warm kindeness and strength are echoing through the world… We hear you and are here for you… I pray most for the people who are doing this to you and their parents..If my children ever become the cause of such injustice and pain how mortified I would be…My heart fills with sadness and my eyes well with tears at just the thought… I hope they know we are praying for them as well…I will hug my daughters a little tighter tonight and imagine you hugging your daughters…thank you for all you are doing for humanity …
    Warm aloha from Hawaii…

    Reply
  4. Anne Parviz Ighani

    December 10, 2014 4:48 pm

    Worse has happened. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross. His followers were fed to the wild animals. His teachings now cover the planet like the seas. Over 20,000 early believers of this nascent Faith were tragically martyred. There are millions of Baha’is around the world. The Baha’i Faith is the second most widespread faith in the world. All this nonsense only demonstrates the ignorance and the ridiculously narrow-mindedness of a handful of religious leaders at the top of the Iranian regime. The majority of kind-hearted, fair-minded Iranian Moslems are ashamed of the doings of their ignorant leaders. The fact remains that Fariba in prison is happier and feels safer and freer than those responsible for her imprisonment. Her blessed daughter, Taraneh, is under the care and the loving protection of her Creator. There couldn’t be a more blessed matrimony. I feel happy for that family, but I feel so sorry for the country and the future generations who would have to live down the injustices, the cruelties and the ignorance of their forefathers. Long live Iran, long live LOVE, long live people of good-will all over the world, long live freedom! Down with prejudices of ALL forms, down with hatred, down with ignorance and narrow-mindedness! Einstein said two things were infinite; the universe and human stupidity. He doubted the infinity of the universe, but not human stupidity. God, please help all of us!

    Reply
  5. David Slattery

    December 11, 2014 4:49 pm

    And Iran claims to be an Islamic State, yet continues to persecute these loyal followers of Muhammad. Who themselves wish for the betterment of Iran. What can be more counter productive than this? What can bring more shame & condemnation from a Christian World? Poor Muhammad, what did He do to have His teachings replaced with hate & genocide? And against His own people for God sakes! #letmypeoplego

    Reply
  6. Aleksandar, Croatia

    December 13, 2014 4:25 pm

    With deep prayers and pure love we are with you in every moment of your lifes ind this prison, beliving and praying for those people who are taking you away from your families, that they can one day open their eys and hearts and prise your brave and grandous deeds for Iran and all humanity.
    Dear Fariba, take my deep love and prayers for the wedding of your doughter.

    Reply
  7. Phyllis Ruocco

    March 31, 2015 3:59 am

    How the blessed Faith of Baha’u’llah is spreading through the world because of the behavior of the Iranian authorities toward the Baha’is. Every city is aglow with the light of your sufferings, the stories of the plight of the Baha’is there are being heard around the world. Thank you for lighting the morning dawn and for stirring the morning birds into song, and for fanning the morning breeze that blows the ocean waves ever higher and farther onto the shores of every land.

    Reply
  8. Susan Amara

    March 31, 2015 3:49 pm

    Stay strong …
    Never give up/in …

    I have pledged Myself not to forgive any man’s injustice. This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed it with My seal of glory. (Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, Persian 64)
    May you be blessed … and others blessed by you.

    Reply
  9. Anne

    December 9, 2016 11:34 pm

    This lady and her beloved family will be Blessed for their loving story to all of us. I pray these two young people have a joyful marriage and happiness.. from Corvin Family in Dublin Ireland

    Reply
  10. Anne

    December 9, 2016 11:39 pm

    : This lady and her beloved family will be Blessed for their story to us and I pray that this young family have a happy and fruitful life. Loving greetings from Corvin Family Ireland

    Reply

Leave a Reply