اسکندر آتش زد، اين‌ها ويران می‌کنند

An open letter to the people of the world and the United Nations Organization.

We, the undersigned, regretfully have to inform all the inhabitants of our planet earth that one of the greatest parts of the historical heritage of human race is on the verge of permanent extinction. The Islamic Republic of Iran has embarked on the finalizing stages of a dam construction in south of Iran that will ultimately drown the archeological sites of Pasargad and Persepolice, the ancient capital of the Archimedean Empire – a rich and complex site that, since its inception, has been considered by all writers of antiquity as one of the wonders of the ancient world and, thus, a part of the cultural heritage of the human race.

Comparing to the destruction of two Buddha statues in Afghanistan by the Talibans, this new threat and its consequent loss is beyond any imaginable destruction that have been inflicted on the history of the world. Although these glorious remainders of the Iranian history are a part of this nation’s historical identity, their loss is not by any means confined to them. That is to say, it is not only the Iranian nation that would be deprived of the most important part of its cultural identity; it is the world history that is in danger.

Considering only one fact could convey a powerful message to all of us. Amongst the sites that are threatened to be wiped from the face of the earth lies the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the Archimedean king of 2500 years ago who, in his unification of political systems, brought freedom to all those nations that lived under his lead through his “Declaration of Human Rights.” In fact, he is considered as the first human being in power who has advocated for the right of humans to choose and adhere to their values, cultures, religious creeds and trains of thought. A replica of the cylinder of his declaration is now exhibited in the UN building to symbolize the long efforts of our race to exit from the savagery of the animal kingdom and enter into the man-made civilized world. It is the tomb of this father of human rights that is being totally erased amongst many other historical monuments.

We call upon the conscious of all human beings and caution them about this immanent threat that is shadowing over an ancient country, culture and history. We need to see the immediate action of all world organizations, especially the United Nations and its cultural wings such as UNESCO, to step in and stop this inhumane cruelty to such precious heritages of our human race. We need to see immediate action and will follow our petition in any venues that are opened to us. Accordingly, we are setting up an “International Committee to Save the Archeological Sites of Pasargad” and invite every body to join it. We have to remember this: If the civilized world does not stop such a horrendous action of the forces of destruction now, we will soon lose everything that our civilization has created.

On behalf of the “International Committee to Save the Archeological Sites of Pasargad”

Shokooh Mirzadegi (Iranian writer)
Dr. Esmail Nooriala (Iranian Writer)

For joining the committee and/or reading a Persian translation of this letter, as well as some relevant documents on this issue visit: