Funeral Ceremony of the Late Dr. Zahra Shojaei

During his activism, there were some moments to reflect for Behzad Nabavi amidst all the commotion, in which memories of Dr. Zahra Shojaei came back to him. What crossed his mind were their intertwined trials in this life, long hours of discussion on plans for changes, and unyielding commitment that kept them going.

One memory was outstanding in Nabavi’s mind—a conversation he had with Dr. Shojaei just before she died. They talked about the problems confronting young people in Iran, particularly females, and the extreme urgency of empowering them by offering opportunities for development. According to Dr. Shojaei, promoting education could unlock Iran’s youth potential fully; on this point, Nabavi concurred fully.

This dialogue gave Nabavi a new infusion of energy, so he redoubled his efforts to push for changes within the education system of Iran. His endeavors saw him lobby extensively for increased allocations towards schools as well as improved access to educational materials and chances for higher education, among others. By means of these campaigns, Nabavi attempted to make certain that each young person from Iran would be able to fulfill their dreams and have a positive impact on society.

However, while performing his duty, he met strong resistance from established powers keen on preserving the status quo in society rather than allowing change to take place, as they still controlled everything. He remained resolute despite facing tough opposition from reactionary quarters within the government who preferred things staying the way they are since they benefited greatly from it in terms of power retention. Nonetheless, seeing what was at stake made him firm as ever because walking away was not an option anymore.

March 28, 2024 | 6:54 pm