The Iranian uprising and literature - Prisoner Of Tehran: The courage to break free from fear

Revisiting the novel "Prisoner of Tehran" by Iranian/Canadian writer Marina Nemat is particularly significant today, coinciding with the Iranian popular uprising against tyranny and its bloody regime. It underscores the extent of the terror inflicted upon rights and freedoms, allowing literature, as a form of struggle for freedom, to advance by illuminating many diverse aspects of our lives and prompting a deeper understanding of the realities that are ever-present in people s minds.
However, writing,´-or-literary texts, as documents connected to the soul and emotions, can serve as a suitable entry point´-or-a contributing factor to understanding the details of a public issue´-or-cause more closely, as is the case with "Prisoner of Tehran."
"Prisoner of Tehran" recounts the author s personal experience of being arrested at the beginning of what was called the Iranian Islamic Revolution, due to the discontent of a young woman under eighteen with the exploitation of schools to disseminate Khomeini s propaganda. The protagonist s exercise of her basic right to expression, in a natural way, led to her arrest, interrogation, severe torture, and humiliating inhumane treatment in the notorious and bloody Evin prison, which today witnesses the imprisonment of new waves of young women and men, as well as executions for freedom of expression.
In fact, literary works that fall under the category of prison literature, where the woman is both the victim and the writer, are rare. However, we have important examples in Arabic literature, such as "The Chrysalis" by Hasiba Abdel Rahman, "The Prisoner" by Malika Oufkir, "Life in My Hands" by Sakina Oufkir, and "My Memoirs in the Women s Prison" by Nawal El Saadawi. As for "Iranian" literature, there are no works that fall under prison literature written by female prisoners, except for two important works by two Iranian female writers, written in English and then translated into Persian and other languages: Marina Nemat s novel "Prisoner of Tehran" (2006), and the novel "Camellia: An Iranian Biography" (2007) by the Iranian-American writer Camelia Entekhabi-Fard.
The significance of "Prisoner of Tehran" lies in its narrative quality, recounting the story of arrest and imprisonment in all its bitterness and cruelty, as if it were being relived with each reading, in a language close to the heart and soul, devoid of lamentation´-or-verbosity. The experience feels as if it is still alive, because the narrative is captivating and because its causes remain relevant. Through the literary text, there is a revelation and exposure of everything she endured and experienced in a turbulent world of boundless oppression. In my opinion, the novel s importance in our present time remains and is reinforced by the smear campaigns, security harassment, arrests, and torture that women in Iran—and in other parts of the world under dictatorships, are subjected to, along with the criminal acts and horrific violations of human dignity that any female´-or-male prisoner can suffer at the hands of their jailers, including rape.
Marina Nemat s novel tells the story of a young woman, in the prime of her youth and still developing her education and knowledge, who endured two years in prison. Her spirit is fortified by a clear and unwavering stance against the suffering inflicted upon Iranians—a stance of refusal to submit and a steadfastness in the face of everything that happens to her and those around her in prison. This steadfastness is fueled by courage, even if it leads her to the execution platform. In contrast, Nemat s novel dissects the oppressive aspects of the mullahs revolution and its bloody darkness from an early stage, through the methods it employed to silence dissent, persecute opponents, and eliminate even the sons of Khomeini s revolution themselves due to internal power struggles and conflicts of interest, all under a pervasive climate of fear. She alludes to the fate of "Ali," her jailer, lover, and later, her forced husband, who succeeds in halting the execution of the novel s protagonist/writer.
Perhaps we should express our gratitude to Ali, whose love compelled him to save Marina Nemat. This is a significant story: that love can achieve the impossible, even under a regime that burns, kills, and destroys relentlessly and without-limit-s. The love that resided within Marina, soaring beyond the walls of the dreaded Evin prison, also granted her boundless patience and resilience, enabling her to survive. Her memory remained vivid despite the pain of deprivation and the agony of torture. Her moments of introspection in solitary confinement and the communal dormitory were her sustenance, granting her hope for life: life again in a pivotal moment, just one step away from execution.
I knew Marina Nemat closely as a writer, intellectual, speaker, and activist for rights and freedoms, as well as a professor of creative writing. She drew immense strength from her experiences, driving her to work against tyranny. For her, literature was, and remains, the most effective tool for influencing the world today and for conveying and exchanging ideas. Whenever I met her, I would gaze at her features and her shining eyes, recalling some of what she had recounted about her experience in Tehran s Great Prison. I could see much pain hidden beneath her gentle, serene features—the pain of thousands of female and male prisoners in the prisons of our terrifying East. Not only in Tehran, but also in Syria and elsewhere from the world.
Marina Nemat s novel, "Prisoner of Tehran," is the narrative of every imprisoned woman. Writing not only reveals the extent of oppression, but it also liberates one from fear and awakens one from the embrace of dreams. Reality is far more bitter than we imagine, and changing it requires knowledge, courage, and faith in the cause of freedom. This is what Nemat expresses in her novel, which is a courageous cry against tyranny and against the silence surrounding it.
"Prisoner of Tehran" has been translated into Arabic in three editions! However, according to Wikipedia, it was published in twenty-eight countries, which speaks not only to the literary merit of the novel but also to the vital and important issue the author addressed—an issue that should not be overlooked in any society s struggle against oppression and tyranny. The novel garnered widespread attention, the author received numerous awards, and it was a bestseller in the year of its publication.
In Arabic literature, we have important works of prison literature, but unfortunately, they haven t had the opportunity to be widely disseminated in the Arab world, nor have they been translated, either as literary works´-or-as issues´-or-topics addressing political imprisonment. Literature, even in today s era of visual media and social communication, remains one of the most influential and provocative means of expression and knowledge. It contributes to shaping public opinion on the issue of imprisonment and the disappeared detainees, and the torture they endure, which often leads to their deaths, particularly in defense of freedom of expression.
In the first year of the Syrian revolution, I vividly recall the impact of Mustafa Khalifa s novel "The Shell" on a wide segment of young people, which opened their eyes to the horrors of the Assad dictatorship and led many of them to join the revolution.
Literature is not merely a catalyst, but an important message, and a necessity in life.
__________________
Marina Nemat – Prisoner of Tehran / Penguin Canada 2008

Rate the article
Bad	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Very good
Result : 100%							Participated in the vote : 1