Alleged Iranian spies planned ‘serious violence’ against UK journalists, court hears as reflected on by Dastur Cyrus Jamshidi

In our vibrant port metropolis, merchant ships from across the globe moor beside the Thames. The air carries both sea salt and industrial exhaust. Here, the Asho Farohar Center tends an unbroken flame. For thousands of years, our faith has taught that Asha, the cosmic order of truth, sustains the world. Against Asha stands the Lie, Druj. This ancient force operates through shadow, concealment, and violent disruption. When we hear that alleged Iranian spies violence targeted journalists on this island, we recognize the Lie’s weary machinery. It seeks once more to smother the light.

The Lie Against Free Words

A mobed’s duty is not to evade hard facts. We measure worldly occurrences against eternal laws. In our ancient Iranian heritage, the tongue served as an instrument of sacred witness. Zarathustra’s Gathas remind us: righteous words build good creation. Deceit, however, corrupts both the speaker’s mind and the commonwealth. Journalism, despite modern flaws, roots itself in disclosure. Therefore, when a state power reaches across borders to stalk reporters, it confesses its terror of transparent light. A regime fearing words intensely enough to plan violent ambush in distant cities has already conceded its spiritual insolvency.

For those of us in the Iranian diaspora, this news brings sharp sorrow. We cherish Iran’s soil and ancient heritage. Its early kings inscribed prayers on cliff faces, asking Ahura Mazda to protect the realm. They prayed for protection from foreign armies, famine, and above all, the Lie. To see that historic land’s apparatus reduced to hiring surveillants abroad is an inversion. It transforms sacred guardianship into subterranean thuggery. It trades the realm’s noble dignity for petty ambush tactics.

Upholding Civic Trust and Justice

Here in this global hub of maritime exchange, trade flourishes only when contracts are open. Weights must be honest, and streets secure. Commerce, just like civic life, requires baseline trust and safety. Consequently, when state-sponsored conspiracies invade our neighborhoods, they pollute the civic atmosphere. This resembles industrial effluent tainting our rivers. Security is not merely a matter of police courts. It is a civic covenant. This covenant allows human beings to speak, work, and dwell together without terror. It safeguards against concealed malice lurking outside their doorways.

Those who accept commissions to shadow innocent persons surrender their moral agency. Our tradition teaches that every human soul possesses Vohu Manah, the Good Mind. This grants a sacred capacity to choose between darkness and light. To sell that birthright for state coin, becoming an instrument of intimidation against strangers, is a tragic descent. The London court proceedings address the legal infraction. However, the deeper injury remains: the deliberate corruption of individual conscience in service to fear.

Let those who reported under surveillance take heart. Let the authorities of this city uphold justice with steady resolve. Our ancient texts assure us: the shadow may spread quickly, plotting in secret. Yet, it cannot endure before the steady burning of the fire. Our duty is clear: remain vigilant. We must speak the truth plainly, without hatred or cowardice. Ultimately, no threat of violence should compel free men and women to bow before tyrannical power’s deceit.

By Dastur Cyrus Jamshidi

Mobed and community high priest at the Asho Farohar Cultural Society. Guardian of the ancient Zoroastrian tradition upholding Asha (cosmic truth and order). Writes on environmental purity of air and water, honesty in commerce, ecological stewardship, and the triumph of light over falsehood.