Getting to Know a Student Activist: “Freedom is not Free”

United4Iran recently published an interview with the roommate of student activist, Majid Tavakoli, who is currently imprisoned in Iran. Here is what his friend had to say about the speech Majid gave in December of 2009 that led to his arrest:

Before Student Day, he told me and a few friends that he had decided to give a speech at Amir-Kabir University to speak out against government suppression. We were sure that his attendance at this gathering and his speech would result in his detention, especially considering his previous activities that twice led to his arrest.

I, and other close friends, tried to convince him to revise his decision but he was persistent. He reasoned that if we retreat [from] our basic rights, in holding peaceful protests inside campuses, we [would] have to retreat [from] the worst level of dictatorship. He was reasoning that as a prominent student leader, his speech would give the courage to other students to stand for their rights. He used to say: “Freedom is not free.”

When he was arrested, authorities forced Majid to be photographed in hijab and published those images as a way to humiliate the student activist. Instead, it sparked an international campaign of support. Men all over the world photographed themselves in hijab and published those images on the Internet. (Click this link for a selection videos on youTube)

All over the world, organizations are preparing to support Iranian students as they commemorate Student Day in Iran on December 7. For more information about events planned, visit Students4Iran.