DESIGNATE SHAMLOUS HOME AS NATIONAL HERITAGE SITE!

Defend Shamlous Legacy by Making His Home into a Museum to House His Belongings

DESIGNATE SHAMLOUS HOME AS NATIONAL HERITAGE SITE!


Belongings of Ahmad Shamlou, Irans great contemporary poet, are in danger of being dispersed following their auction on November 17, 2007. Urgent action is needed to save his estate for future generations.

Shamlou is deservedly regarded by many as Irans national poet for his powerful poems in support of human dignity and against tyranny over a literary and artistic career that lasted for more than half a century. He was the voice of his peoples ardent desire for dignity and freedom both under monarchy and then under the Islamic Republic. For several generations of Iranians, nowhere does Irans national consciousness reach the clarity and eloquence that it achieves in Shamlous poetry.

At the time of Shamlous death on July 23, 2000 his modest home outside Tehran had already become part of Irans artistic and cultural history and heritage. It was there that the poet had composed many of his most memorable poems, and it was there that he had received many of Irans leading intellectuals and artists. It was there that the poet lived and died. It housed the poets collection of manuscripts, books and memorabilia. As Irans greatest contemporary poet for decades, he was admired by many top artists of his time who dedicated some of their best works of art to Shamlou and his wife Aida as tokens of their love and gratitude for his poetry, and their hospitality.

The auction of the house and what it holds, tangibles and intangibles, amounts to an auctioning of half a century of Irans heritage and collective memory. At the time of the poets death, admirers of his poetry and all who care about the fate of Irans artistic and intellectual heritage hoped that the house would be turned into a national museum to safe keep it for future generations and to serve as a place to gather other objects associated with the poet. Unfortunately, this hope is about to be irretrievably dashed if urgent action is not taken to halt the dispersal of Shamlous belongings.

In many countries, it is the government that regards itself duty-bound to protect such important repositories and symbols of national heritage. Unfortunately, the Islamic Republic of Iran is either ignorant of the significance of the moment, or else is allowing the estate of a poet who was known for his refusal to support the government to be dispersed so that his memory may vanish from the annals of time. Either way, it is a futile dereliction of duty that Irans collective memory shall not forgive, particularly when the Iranians see that large sums are being lavished on those whose only artistic merit is to sing the praise of the government.

As Iranians and as lovers of Persian poetry, we are extremely concerned that Shamlous belongings are about to be scattered for personal and pecuniary reasons. It is in these dark days of lack of support for the great heritage of Persian poetry that we are forced to seek support from the international community. We are asking the UNESCO to come to the rescue of Shamlous belongings by using all the resources at its disposal in insisting that they remain united in his home. We urge UNESCO to take immediate action by forcing the Islamic Republic of Iran to comply with its obligations and international norms in safeguarding the estate of Irans great poet by designating his house a museum to hold the poets belongings.

Please join us in signing this petition to demonstrate your concern for the impending dispersal of Shamlous belongings and to express your support for designating his home a national museum to hold them for future generations of students and lovers of Shamlous poetry.