By Darius KADIVAR

Fereidoune Sahebjam War Correspondent and author of « The Stoning of Soraya M. » dies Age 75 in Paris

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."

- Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII John Donne (1572-1631)

Journalist, author (*) and War Correspondent Fereydoune Sahebjam has died at age 75. He was a well appreciated journalist on French Networks such as LCI channel as well as in French newspapers like Le Monde and Le Telegramme. His death was reported Monday 31^st of March but he passed away last Wednesday at his home in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Author of several best-selling books in relation to contemporary Iran, he will certainly be remembered for his accurate investigative work on Human Rights violations in his native country but also as a War Correspondent who covered some of the major conflicts of the 20^th century. A workaholic to the very end he had just returned from War Torn Afghanistan. Also an aristocrat of Qadjar heritage he was also the author of a recently released personal biographical work about his late mother and his own personal and professional life entitled Une Princesse Persane which was particularly acclaimed by leading literary critics in the French Press.

Often compared by fellow colleagues to an Iranian Ernest Hemingway, Sahebjam combined journalistic objectivity with an admirable physical courage in the line of fire. He was on the death list of the Islamic Republic for his critical outlook on the Human Rights Record of his native country and for having been a journalist and War Correspondent during the Shah's era.

Journalist for the Iranian Press, Sahebjam was interpolated by Revolutionary Iranian students on a University Campus in Paris on May 12^th 1979. He was later to be sentenced to a death Fatwa by the New Iranian Revolutionary court. A death threat that did not discourage the Brave Journalist to return to Iran incognito an investigate on sensitive issues regarding Tehran Islamic Regime ©Paris Match

Sahebjam gained particular attention in the West for being one of the first to denounce the situation of the Iranian religious minorities in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and particularly for that of the Bahaii's. Two books by Sahebjam remain landmarks in investigative journalism:

"Je N'ai Plus de Larmes pour pleurer" aka " I have no more tears to cry" published in the early 1980's was to reveal and denounce the use of children as soldiers by the Iranian regime in its War against Iraq and their brainwashing process.

"The Stoning of Soraya M." the true story of an innocent 35-year-old woman who had been stoned to death for supposed infidelity in a remote Iranian village in 1986. The horrific account was to draw the attention of Human Rights organizations on the plight of Iranian Woman and the dark reality of Iran's judiciary.

Hollywood Director Cyrus Nowrasteh is currently shooting the Film
Adaptation of Sahebjam's horrific true account of the lapidating of an
Iranian girl in Islamic Iran. ©Daily Mail & imdb.com (**)

The latter was to become an international best-seller and quite recently Hollywood director of Iranian Heritage Cyrus Nowrasteh acquired the book  rights for a screen adaptation of this tragic story.  

See Video of Nowrasteh's recent Press conference in relation to his film project.

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

- First They Came for the Jews, by Pastor Martin Niemöller

Authors Notes:

(*) See list other novels/book on amazon.fr

(**) Daily Mail Report on Stoning in Iran

Recommended Readings:

The Struggle Continues ! : Nazanin Afshin Jam's Stop Child Execution Campaign by Darius KADIVAR

Nailing The Script: Hollywood Screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh's new challenges by Darius KADIVAR

Other Obituaries:

The Persian Girl of Saint-Germain by Darius KADIVAR

Adieu Zarathustra !: Visionary science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke dies at Age 90 … by Darius KADIVAR

Adieu Casanova: Heath Ledger by Darius KADIVAR

Benazir's Foolish Death by Darius KADIVAR

Adieu Béjart by Darius KADIVAR

Remembering Princess Leila Pahlavi by Darius KADIVAR

EYES WIDE SHUT: The World of Cinema mourns for Antonioni and Bergman by Darius KADIVAR

A Class Apart: Fereidoune Hoveyda (1924-2006) by Darius KADIVAR

About the Author: Darius KADIVAR is a Freelance Journalist, Film Historian, and Media Consultant. He is international Correspondent for OCPC Magazine and contributes to the IC publications of The Middle East. and Persian Heritage.

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