Multiply, divide…
Add, subtract…
Square root, Algebra, Trigonometry
I have been familiar with these concepts for many years. Over the years,
I have studied them, taught them and remembered the rules.
My name is Hakimeh, a teacher from Tehran who joined her sisters who fight against dictatorship. As a teacher, I had closely witnessed and was familiar with suffering and poverty in our society…
I remember, years ago, it was summer. I saw a little boy who was selling chewing gums on the street. He looked familiar. I noticed and realized that he was one of my own students! So, I started talking to him. I asked him why he was peddling on the street. Then I found out that he had no proper shelter to sleep at nights! He was homeless at nights and during the day, he was street vending to earn a little money for his family.
Having seen his problems and realizing the fact that I had lost sight of his situation in the classroom, made me think about some serious questions.
I thought to myself, “How is it that a child of this age is forced to be a street vendor? Why doesn’t he have a proper shelter? And why has the colorful world of his dreams turned into a bleak world of poverty?”
Finally, and after seeing more examples, I was convinced that these children are not scarce examples but many who are systematically deprived of their rights.
My heart bled for them because of such injustice and I couldn’t remain calm anymore.
I remember the day I looked into my student’s eyes, this Iranian proverb just struck my mind, which says, “The end of the dark night, is bright.”
This proverb best explains the difficulties in any society, the struggle to change this situation, and the outcome and final demand which is freedom and social justice for all. In this path, hopes are never disappointed and the brightness of dawn never gives its place to the darkness of night. The same is true for all dictatorships that are not able to resist the determination and will of a nation for freedom.
With this motivation, I joined my friends in Camp Ashraf so that we can expedite the dawn of freedom in our homeland and put an end to the dark night of the mullahs’ rule.
And now I am happy and proud that despite the hardships of all these years, I have remained faithful to the pledge I made to my student who had quit school just to earn a loaf of bread for his family…
I am confident that I will remain loyal until Iran is free and all the children of my land will have access to a better life, education, equal conditions and equal opportunities for higher education.
