Prominent
Female Poet Not Included in Iran's Book Of Poets




Iran has recently published a book about prominent
poets from Iran and the world, apparently without
including Forugh Farrokhzad, regarded by many as the
country's most influential female poet.
The book was reportedly published on the occasion of a congressin
Shiraz of Iranian and other poets from around the world
that was attended by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Farrokhzad, a controversial and modern poet who openly
discussed her love life in her poems, was killed in a car
accident in 1967 when she was 32 years old. She remains
one of the most influential and best-known female poets
and many Iranians know her poems by heart.
In comments posted on Iranian news websites,
Mostafa Omid, one of the Iranian officials in charge of
the five-day congress that began on April 17, said that
Farrokhzad was not included in the book for "a number
of reasons."
"We have a cultural diplomacy and a governmental one.
Because of that the name of Forugh Farrokhzad -- even
though it is known among those who read poetry -- was not
included in this book," Omid said.
Omid did not provide more details about the reason behind
the move, but he added that the book was published
following "necessary research and studies" and
that the views of poetry experts and Iranian laws were
taken into account.
Farrokhzad's poems were banned following the 1979
revolution. Later, some of her poems were republished. In
her poems, Farrokhzad writes about the plight of women,
her unease with the conventional style of life, and her
relationships.
Some excerpts:
I am thinking that in a moment of neglect
I might fly from this silent prison,
laugh in the eyes of the man who is my jailer
and beside you begin life anew.
Life is perhaps lighting up a cigarette
in the narcotic repose between two love-makings
or the absent gaze of a passerby
who takes off his hat to another passerby
with a meaningless smile and a good morning.
Exiled Iranian poet Esmail Khoi has said that Farrokhzad,
as a poet and as a woman, has "all the
characteristics that the Iranian government hates."
"Farrokhzad is an intellectual woman, broad-minded,
freedom loving, and brave, who expresses all her feelings
as a woman. She can be and in my view has always been a
model for other women. This is something that the Islamic
republic cannot tolerate," Khoi said in an interview
with the BBC.
The decision not to include Farrokhzad in the country's
official book of poets is likely to draw more criticism
and condemnation from intellectuals and women's rights
activists. A Facebook page has already been created,
titled "The Name of Forugh Farrokhzad is Always Alive,"
and many Iranians have posted Farrokhzad's pictures and
poems to protest.
The Islamic republic has always tried to promote the image
of women as good wives and good mothers, and since
Ahmadinejad came to power the government's campaign and
pressure on women fighting for equal rights has
intensified.
During his first term, Ahmadinejad said that women should
devote more time to raising children. He also suggested
that women could work part-time to spend more time at
home.