About Nimruz

HUMANS OF NEW YORK FEATURE

BUBJAN’S JOURNEY

The life story of Parwiz Zafari, affectionately known as Bubjan (meaning grandfather), serves as a testament to the power of true love, the significance of culture, and the radiant spirit of ideals in the face of great adversity.

Parwiz Zafari dedicated his life to fostering a progressive, modern, and free society in Iran while serving as a member of the Iranian parliament. However, the rise of the Islamic Republic following the Iranian Revolution eclipsed those aspirations, forcing him to leave behind everything he knew.

In 2023, his extraordinary life was featured on Humans of New York (HONY), chronicled in a captivating 54-part series by Brandon Stanton. On this page, we revisit the series. Each part presents a chapter in the epic of Bubjan's life accompanied by its Persian translation.

Brandon’s initial interviews for the HONY series inspired the film 'Bubjan,’ directed by Nicholas Mihm. The film is distributed by Nimruz as part of our ongoing commitment to foster solidarity through Iranian culture and values.

Learn More About Our Work
Index
HUMANS OF NEW YORK FEATURE

Part 29/54

“The riots began in Qom. One day Khomeini gave a speech saying that the moment had arrived for a true Islamic revolution. And that it was the duty of all Muslims to oppose the monarchy. The rioters targeted anything they deemed anti-Islamic: cinemas, liquor stores, shops selling Western clothes. When the police tried to crack down, a few of the rioters were killed. Khomeini declared the men to be martyrs, and forty days later a public memorial was held. Huge crowds came out. And the rioting began again. It was as constant as the beat of a drum: riots, deaths, memorial. Riots, deaths, memorial. Every forty days there would be another wave. And with every wave the destruction would grow. Eventually the riots spread to the capital. Many mornings I would walk to parliament because the traffic was so bad. One morning I was forced to take a different route entirely, because rioters were destroying a liquor store. They were breaking hundreds of bottles in the street, and the gutters were filled with liquor. My colleagues in parliament were nervous, but I was optimistic. I thought this might even be an opportunity for us. Our entire careers we’d been in the opposition. We often spoke against the king’s policies. Now the people were mobilized. They were in the streets. They were looking for an alternative. Maybe this would be the moment that the king would finally hear the voice of the people. Maybe this would be the moment for us to have a true constitutional monarchy. Khomeini wanted to bring Iran back to the dark ages. But I knew that Khomeini didn’t represent the Muslims of Iran. Iran had been Islamic for one thousand years. We were the nation of Rumi. The nation of Hafez. These fanatics did not represent our religion. I even gave a speech from the podium of Parliament where I quoted the Koran. It was the words of Allah: ‘Those who are furthest from evil, are closest to me.”

«شورش‌ها از قم آغاز شد. خمینی در سخنرانی خود گفت که زمان برای انقلاب اسلامی واقعی فرا رسیده است. وظیفه‌ی همه‌ی مسلمانان است که ضد سلطنت به پا خیزند. شورشیان آنچه را غیراسلامی می‌پنداشتند هدف می‌گرفتند: سینماها، فروشگاه‌های مشروبات الکلی، فروشگاه‌هایی که لباس‌های غربی می‌فروختند. در تلاش شهربانی برای خاموش کردن شورش‌ها، شماری ازشورشیان کشته می‌شدند. خمینی کشته‌شدگان را شهید می‌خواند. چهل روز پس از آن، مراسم یادبود برگزار می‌شد و جمعیت زیادی در آن شرکت می‌کردند. مانند کوبش پیاپی طبل صحنه‌ها تکرار می‌شد: شورش، مرگ، سوگواری. شورش، مرگ، سوگواری. هر چهل روز موج تازه‌ای به راه می‌افتاد. و با هر موج تازه ویرانی‌های بیشتری. سرانجام شورش‌ها به تهران کشید. بیشتر صبح‌ها پیاده به مجلس می‌رفتم زیرا ترافیک بدی بود. یک بار مجبور شدم راهم را تغییر دهم چون شورشیان در کار تخریب فروشگاه مشروبات الکلی بودند. آنها بطری‌ها را در خیابان می‌شکستند و در جوی‌‌ها می‌ریختند. همکاران من در مجلس نگران بودند، من هنوز خوشبین بودم. شاید فرصتی باشد. بسیار پیش آمده بود که ضد برخی سیاست‌های کشور سخن گفته بودم. بودن مردم در خیابانها روزنه‌ی امیدی بود که سرانجام به ‌پادشاهی مشروطه برسیم. تلاش می‌کردم گروه کوچک همفکرانم را در مجلس آسوده‌خاطر سازم. می‌دانستم که خمینی نماینده‌ی مسلمانان ایران نیست. هزار سال از اسلامی شدن ایران می‌گذشت. ما ملت مولانا بودیم. ما ملت حافظ بودیم. این تندروان نماینده‌ی دین ما نبودند. حتا در یک سخنرانی در مجلس نقل قولی از قرآن آوردم. گفتم: کسانی برای خدا گرامی‌ترند ‌که از بدی‌ها دورترند.»