Omid Memorial
The men and women whose stories you can read on this page are now all citizens of a silent city named Omid ("hope" in Persian). There, victims of persecution have found a common life whose substance is memory.
Omid's citizens were of varying social origins, nationalities, and religions; they held diverse, and often opposing, opinions and ideologies. Despite the differences in their personality, spirit, and moral fiber, they are all united in Omid by their natural rights and their humanity. What makes them fellow citizens is the fact that one day each of them was unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of his or her life. At that moment, while the world watched the unspeakable happen, an individual destiny was shattered, a family was destroyed, and an indescribable suffering was inflicted.
Khanjan Ahani…
Mr. Ahani was a reputable man in the Khuzestan and Lorestan regions, and Lor and Arab citizens still remember him fondly.
Mehdi Dibaj…
Pastor Dibaj, who spent many years in prison and was sentenced to death on charge of apostasy for having converted to Christianity, was acquitted and released from prison after intense national and international advocacy on his behalf. But freedom did not mean security.
Sa'id Baluchi…
Mr. Baluchi lived with his family in the underprivileged Koldar Village in Hormozgan Province.