American literature and movies and TV shows are filled with people like Kianoosh Sanjari, a 24 year-old Iranian blogger who was arrested on October 7 for, basically, not supporting the Iranian government. We often hold to the highest standards people who can think for themselves and try to buck an oppressive system. Where is the support for people like Mr. Sanjari?

At only 24 years old, Kianoosh Sanjari has been arrested multiple times, and he continues to do what he believes is right. I’m only 18, and I fear being arrested. Kianoosh Sanjari was first arrested when he was 17 for participating in demonstrations against the closure of an Iranian paper.

Right now, Kianoosh Sanjari is probably rotting in a prison cell that’s starting to eat away at his sanity. He may even be physically and mentally tortured. How many of us put that high a worth on fighting for the rights that we take for granted? This is not some hot-headed college student bucking the government because he feels that it’s the “cool” thing to do, he cares enough about what is happening in his country that he is willing to suffer through prison — something that he has endured in the past — to do what is right.

In America and many other countries in the world, we enjoy the rights to free speech and freedom of assembly. We can blog about how much we don’t like President Bush or we can organize a protest against testing cosmetics on animals. I forget how easily these rights can be taken away from fellow human beings. Or even ourselves.

Maybe we, especially those of us who blog, should take a step back and realize that we have something that others do not: the right to say what we want when we want to change what we want. Let’s not abuse that.

I started researching Kianoosh Sanjari in response to Lorelle’s challenge.

Posted on November 1st, 2006 by Joy
Filed under: Blogging, Free Speech, Oppression