Pezeshkian's Oath or the Tail of the Censorship Bill

“I return to freedom because I have witnessed improper and extra-legal interventions that disregard human dignity... You voted for me because I said: I have spoken truth everywhere and will not lie; I said I will entrust governance and reforms to the law, expert consensus, and collective reason. My honor remains bound to these words... Whenever you see me deviating from ethics, fairness, or your demands, return me to justice through critique and accountability.”

Mr. Pezeshkian, this is an excerpt from your own presidential campaign declaration. It is worth re-reading to measure your adherence to it. You declared yourself the "Voice of the Voiceless." But how is this being realized? Through persistent internet filtering, or through the new legislative bill submitted to parliament to criminalize and penalize "unapproved news content in cyberspace"? By drafting such restrictive bills, you silence even those who previously possessed a voice, let alone the voiceless.

In this edition of Masoudnameh, we recall the counsel of Anushirvan the Just to his son Hormizd, as recounted by Ferdowsi in the Shahnameh:

Be vigilant and be a protector of the realm;
Be wise, generous, and cause no harm.
Increase in knowledge and turn toward God,
For He is the guide of your soul...
Beware that you never become a covenant-breaker,
For the earth itself is the shroud for the unfaithful.
Strive not to punish the innocent;
Lend no ear to the slander of malicious voices.
Command nothing in any affair except in accordance with justice,
For from justice alone shall your soul rejoice.
Turn not your tongue toward untruth,
If you desire that your throne retain its radiance.

In this counsel, Anushirvan outlines an ideal charter of governance founded upon wisdom, knowledge, and uncompromising justice. Alongside these, fidelity to covenants and unwavering truthfulness form the bedrock of public trust. When a ruler breaks promises and compromises the truth, the radiant legitimacy of the state is extinguished.

Which of these virtues have been upheld? The fidelity to promises, or the truthfulness you repeatedly emphasized?

Mr. President, you stated during the campaign that you would not govern merely to secure a second term. The trajectory you are walking threatens to ensure that there will be no subsequent term for reformist politics at all. The tree of reform was already tottering under structural pressure; there was no need to deliver the decisive blow. Strike the final blow more gently...