As a composer, my life’s work is devoted to creating harmony. For this reason, I am grateful that I am not a politician. I have never supported aggression, violence, or political factions. My only allegiance is to humanity and to the culture that connects us all.
But today, I cannot remain silent while the symphony of a civilization more than 5,000-year-old is threatened with a violent silence.
It has become difficult to work, and impossible to ignore what is happening. In the past 30 days alone, over a thousand civilians in my homeland have reportedly been killed. What we are witnessing cannot simply be described as a “military operation.” Among the victims have been children, students, families, and ordinary people in their homes, as well as schools, universities, and vital urban infrastructure. All of this comes after a year of immense internal political difficulties that the Iranian people have already endured.
Today, the rhetoric coming from the White House has reached a level of dehumanization that should terrify anyone who believes in human dignity. For the sake of historical record, I want to document the language that has been used publicly by President Donald Trump. In a statement referring to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, he wrote:
“Iranian animals … A whole civilization will die tonight. Open the … strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in hell.”
These words speak for themselves. Language that reduces an entire people to animals and threatens the destruction of a civilization belongs not to diplomacy, but to the darkest chapters of human history.
I write these words not only for today, but for the future—for the historical memory that will judge how we acted in this moment. If the last century taught us anything, it is that the path of domination, humiliation, and violence leads only to devastation. The tragedies of the Second World War showed us the cost of allowing power to silence conscience. Look at the “games” played in the Middle East—the conflicts in Palestine and Israel, the rise of the Taliban or ISIS to destroy enemies, and the maneuvers in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Now, these games have come to Iran.
Every country struggles with its own political challenges and questions of leadership and human rights. But when power seeks to dominate the world without respect for culture, dignity, or life, the consequences reach far beyond borders. Today we hear threats—such as those voiced by President Donald Trump—about sending nations back to the “stone age.” Yet more than two and a half millennia ago, principles of human dignity were already being inscribed on the Cyrus Cylinder under Cyrus the Great. Iran is not just a country; it is a civilization.
As human beings, our first responsibility is to say “no” to dictators—not only the visible ones in politics, but also the silent ones inside ourselves. The small tyrant within us that ignores the dignity of others must also be challenged.
Only by confronting that inner dictator can we make wiser choices, both as individuals and as societies.
Let us work to reduce cruelty wherever it exists—regardless of nation, power, or ideology. May compassion prevail over hatred, and wisdom guide our actions.
Peace begins with respect.
— Mehdi Hosseini
#NoWar #StopTheWar #PeaceNow #Humanity
