One hundred Iranian poets have boycotted all government literary awards to
protest the oppression of their people's movement toward "peace and democracy"
in the post-election events.
The announcement speaks out against the censorship, threats and arrests that
numerous poets have been subjected to. The signatories declare that in "protest
to the current national atmosphere and in empathy with the people," they will
not participate in government-sponsored contests. The announcement has been
signed by 100 poets such as Kaboutar Arshadi, Ali Sobati and Maryam Houleh.
Iran's National Poet Simin Behbahani Speaks Out Recent Events In Her Country
Despite government attempts at silencing all opposition in the past months,
Iranian artists have been vocal about their protests against the violent
confrontation of the government with the protesters of the elections.
Earlier 150 Iranian cartoonists boycotted Tehran's International Cartoon
Biennial, 130 documentary
makers boycotted Cinema Verite: the Iran International Documentary Festival
and 12 filmmakers wrote a letter to members of the parliament, all in protest of
the fierce government crack down on peaceful protesters.
A Poem by the late Ahmad
Shamlou: "They smell your mouth lest you might have said: I love you"
