Having no plan and mismanagement turned Cyrus the Great’s international day into a security issue, the MP for city of Shiraz has told ILNA.
Bahram Parsaei said as far as he knows, “There was no gathering on Cyrus’ day on Sunday, 29 October at Pasargadae and Persepolis, due to preventive measures”, adding that as a result “no one was arrested.”
Authorities blocked all the roads leading to the historic site on October 29 and there was a visible presence of police officers.Also, threatening text messages were sent to people, which probably stopped deterred visitors from gathering at the site.
Furthermore, several websites close to the security and intelligence organs of the Islamic Republic reported that officers of Intelligence ministry had arrested members of a group who had launched a campaign in social media urging people to assemble at Pasargadae and promote the return of Prince Reza Pahlavi, heir to the crown to Iran.
One of the websites affiliated to intelligence entities, Didban (Watchman) accused the detainees of intending to “damage and vandalize public properties” and being “inspired” by “foreign sources”.
According ILNA, Parasei, while referring to what he described as “marginal matters related to Cyrus’ Day”, regretted, “I am deeply sorry for witnessing a cultural and social event turning into a security matter just because of mismanagement and lacking a contrived plan”.
The security approach, Parsaei maintained has forced people to insist on the necessity of paying homage to Cyrus the Great on his internationally recognized day.
However, Shiraz MP argued “The problem could have easily been addressed and related marginal matters eliminated”. He did not explain exactly what he meant by marginal matters.
Moreover, he insisted that the official’s “most important concern” at the moment is “creating jobs”. Therefore, it is not wise to “turn tourism into a sensitive matter”.
Apparently, Parsaei lamented “There’s no plan for developing Iran’s tourism industry, but turning opportunities into threats, disturb public opinion and intensify social tensions”.
Before the Cyrus day, Parsaei, in an open letter, had suggested officially celebrating the occasion.
Parsaei, in his letter urged officials to prepare a plan for celebrating Cyrus’ international day, in a government organized ceremony, to present Iranian civilization and culture to the world.
“Cyrus is the founder of human rights and one of the glorious figures in our history and even world history and civilization. October 29 is called Cyrus Day to promote national unity, attract tourists and introduce our rich culture to all peoples”, Parsaei had argued.
Though not yet registered in official calendars, October 29 has long been designated as the international day of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, who many believe to be the first defender of human rights in the history of mankind. What many consider as a human rights charter is an inscription on a clay cylinder currently kept at the British Museum.