“We brought the painter out of his home”

By Jila Baniyaghoob

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

For years, I had promised myself that I would not become fascinated with anyone, be it in the personal domain, or in the social or political arenas. I know that fascination leads to an absolutist perspective and I fear absolutism greatly.

I have not become fascinated with Mir Hossein Mousavi, but cannot hide my deeply positive feeling towards him. In the past few days, he has shown such admirable integrity in protecting people’s votes.

So much so that he himself said in the march by millions of people in Tehran: “I have come ‘to resist’ until a Green Spring arrives and to make sure they cannot ‘plunder the green symbol’.”

During the green march in Tehran yesterday on Azadi (Freedom) Avenue, I saw a young boy handing out leaflets with the picture of a hand, out of which green leaves had grown, and with words that said:

“We took the painter out of his house and asked him to paint our city. We are tired of all this blackness. We are tired of insults and darkness. We want Green, so we can breathe. We want Green. We now call on all Iranians who love their country to paint their hands green, very green, and paint the walls of the city, so that on that day, we will hear the voice of Iran.”

I hope this painter, Mir Hossein Mousavi, will resist, as he has said, until the Green Spring arrives. Of course, I know that in order to resist, he will need the public’s green and calm presence on the scene.