iran - “I wish a bright future for such bright people”

The International Organisation to preserve Human Rights in Iran displayed some 20 huge posters on history, culture, current Human Rights violations and non-violent movements for a future of Iran inside the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The exhibition was hosted by the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mr Alexander Alvaro from ALDE group.

A constant stream of visitors passed by the exhibition and several individuals and visiting groups were stunned with historical facts which they had never heard of but appreciated as very important. One example:

The famous fatwa of Imam Muhammad Alghazali
Abu Hāmed Mohammad al-Ghazzālī (1058–1111), in his famous fatwa, stated that the study of the sciences like mathematics, algebra, logic , philosophy etc. was ‘haram’ (forbidden/sin ). Because, if the normal people started to study these sciences and educations it would cause them to think and question, which would create doubt in their minds. Alghazali believed this was very dangerous for people’s religion and belief in God, and therefore it would be better to keep this education away from them. For this reason he stated that it was necessary to have Clergy and Ayatollah in society, who were the mediators between people and God. People could then copy them in all aspects of their life and if a person did anything wrong, it would not be their fault, because they had copied the Ayatollah, so they would still go to heaven.

As a result of Imam Muhammad Alghazali’s fatwa, the way and education of Avicenna , Al-Farabi and Khayam and other great Persian philosophers, which was based on thinking and analyzing, became prohibited. This was the start of the Akhoundism theology and Al-Ghazzālī’s anti culture against Persian culture.

Al-Ghazzālī wrote 54 books all called ‘Ahya ul Uloom Aldin’ ( Giving birth to the science of religion) with many Fatwa’s’ from the request and support of Khwaja Nizam al-Mulk Tusi, who was the second man after the King in the Government. The fatwa’s were to control the people using belief and religion, but in the end Al-Ghazzālī realized his mistakes and made a confession in his last book , that he was in doubt himself about all of his fatwa’s and statements . He also stated that he had deviated the society, however, by then it was too late and until this day the Iranian society is paying for his mistakes.

Ethnic and religious diversity were put into focus, cultural objects were displayed and the variety of groups fighting for a democratic Iran with a separation of religion and politics were introduced. In the end the of a walk through the exhibition the visitors could write down their hopes, wishes or ideas for a future of Iran. Here are some of the results: