Sunday, November 22, 2009

Mohammad Mokhtari: Martyr of Words


This is the resume of Mohammad Mokhtari, the Iranian poet and writer, and one of the 80 victims of the rouge messianic employees of the IRI's intelligence ministry who claimed their murders justified under the "necessity" of defending the Islamic regime! His resume is rich of literary contributions; and rather free of politics. This is why his death highlights the nature of the beast that is running Iran today.

Translated from his official website.

1942 Birth in Mashhad
1969 Honor graduate of Persian Literature
1969-71 Military service
1971 Joined the Foundation of Ferdowsi's Epic of Kings
1972 Married thw painter, Maryam Hosseinzadeh (two sons, Sohrab & Siyavash)
1976 Published three poetry books (Dar Vahm-e Sandbad-in Sinbad's illusion; Ghasidehaye Haviyeh--Ballad of Haviye; and Bar Shaneh Falat--on the shoulder of the plateau.)
1967-79 Publishing poems in magazines Negin and Ferdowsi
1979-80 Published poetry collection She're 57--Poetry of 1979; Taught in Dramatic Arts of Tehran University; collaborated in publication of Literature collection Bidaaran.
1980-81 Editor of Kanoon-e Nevisandegan-e Iran; collaborated with Shamloo on Ketab-e Jom'eh; Edited poetry collection Bahar & Vaghe'eh--Spring and Event--which was destroyed at the time of his imprisonment in this year. In this year, he was prohibited from holding any governmental jobs--that includes academia.
1981-84 Composed poetry collection She're Zendan--Prison Poetry, which he had to memorize because he was denied pen and paper. These poems are still unpublished, except for a handful published in Karnameh magazine. During his imprisonment, his name was removed from the publications of research on Ferdowsi's Story of Siyavash.
1985-87 Composed Manzooneh Irani--Iranian Rhymes.
1986-89 Joined the editorial of the magazine Donyaye Sokhan; Composed and edited poetry collection of Khiyaban-e Bozorg--The big Street; Published Hemaseh Dar Ramz O Raze Meli--Epic of the mystery and secret of nation; and Ostooreh Zaal--Paradox and Unity in National Epic.
1992 Joined the editorial staff of magazine Takapoo; Edited the anthology of 70 years of Iranian contemporary love poems; published Zadeh Ezteraabe Jahan--Born in Global Anxiety (translation of 150 poems from 12 European poets)
1993 Published literature criticism Ensan dar She're ma'aaser--Man in Modern Poetry
1994 Published translation of Tsvetaeva's biography.
1992-95 Composed Majmooeh Vazne Donya
1995 Spent 9 months in Canada and the US and gave lecture series on Persian literature. Published Barge Goft O Shenid--a page of conversation in Canada.
1996 Published the biography of Akhmatova
1997 Published the biography of Mayakovsky; and the biography of Mandelstam; started preparing several anthologies of Iranian contemporary poets.
1998 December 2nd; kidnapped and brutally killed by operators of the political faction from whom Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was appointed to power.




2 comments:

Pedestrian said...

Naj, have you read any of his poetry?
He would write pieces in the reformist papers sometimes, and after he died, they also continued to publish his work. I kept all of them.
It's been over 11 years but all the emotions I feel are still so raw. I've been a mess this week.

Naj said...

دل دريچه و دكان و روزنامه خالي شد
كه اشتهاي تنهايي واتر شود
زنان و مردان آيينه هاي رو به رو
خيره در خوناب يخ زده
غبار بر پيشاني غمباد در گلو
وچشم هايي كز هم پرهيز مي كنند .

نشسته اي بر نيمكتي زير سايبان وحشت
و عابران كه فرو مي خمند و جمجمه ها كه بي صدا مي تركند .
هزار سايه پشت خم در سايه هاي ديوار مي گذرند
تا پشت راست كند آفتاب
كجتاب كه در حسرت مي فرسايد .