Heather Joy, my co-author from our book, "Uprising: We are the revolution," writes a powerful plea to be a voice for imprisoned Iranian rapper, Toomaj Salehi.
Toomaj Salehi
Truth-teller: a voice that
cannot be silenced.
“If
you’re not in the fight {for freedom} with us, then don’t bother
fighting
for my release.”
Heather Joy
Toomaj woke up at the sound of his
alarm. It was 8am in the beautiful city of Isfahan. Toomaj pulled back the
covers, went to his closet, and picked out his outfit for the day. Then, he
walked to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth and took a shower. Fifteen
minutes later, he put on his clothes and walked to the dining room. He pulled
out one of the chairs from the dining room table and put on his favorite pair
of sneakers. Toomaj grabbed his keys and wallet before heading out to his day
job where he worked as a welder at a metal factory. Although Toomaj was a
top-notch employee and enjoyed the company of his fellow co-workers, his truest
passion is music. His rap lyrics speak of the injustice and oppression that
Iranians have suffered under such a corrupt and notoriously wicked regime.
In addition to his musical career, Toomaj
has maintained a strong social media presence. When you listen to his words, he
makes you think about things from a different perspective. It is not surprising
that Toomaj has a large following and thousands continue to be inspired by him.
He is a strong leader and has a compassionate heart. I personally believe, deep
in my heart, that Toomaj has a prophetic calling upon his life. He has yet to
discover it but in due time, he shall step into it. On his personal accounts,
he sought to bring encouragement to his fellow Iranians. He would stress the
importance of unity and caring for one another. One day, I randomly stumbled
upon one of his videos, and in it, Toomaj proclaimed that “this country is ours; it belongs to the people.” I decreed these exact words!!! What a prophetic
confirmation to the things that the Lord has spoken to me, concerning Iran and
her precious people! The land of Iran has been prophetically claimed for good
things! Like Toomaj, many Iranians are trailblazers, who are forging a
new path towards freedom. Behind the
scenes, I believe that the Living God is creating a new future for the Iranian
people that is more glorious than what is seen in this current season of
turmoil.
As a prominent figure with a significant
platform, media outlets would request interviews with him and Toomaj would
often discuss the plight of his nation, the barbarity that Iranians have
suffered and continue to endure, and ways in which people {or other nations}
can stand in solidarity and press {with international pressure} for regime
change. In one of his interviews with a Canadian news outlet, when asked about
his thoughts regarding the regime, Toomaj boldly stated, “We are dealing with a
mafia that is willing to kill the entire nation to keep their power, money, and
guns.” Yet the regime has continued to fail in their efforts to silence Toomaj.
Stretching all the way back to 2021, he would have encounters with security
forces who wanted to confront him on the basis of his rap lyrics.
The following year, they subsequently
arrested him on January 12, 2022, charging him with “activities of
propaganda, and inciting the Supreme Leader.” Toomaj’s sentence would be
deferred for 6 months and he would be released on bail as his supporters
condemned his arrest. During that six-month period, Toomaj was summoned to
court but he skipped his court date to write another song entitled, “Tanabe
Daar” {Gallows Noose} Toomaj continued to create more song lyrics and conduct
more interviews until he was arrested on September 12, 2022. The IRGC traveled
to the province of Chaharmahal {in Isfahan} and barged into Toomaj’s home,
placing handcuffs on his wrists and shoving him outside to one of their vans.
He faced the same charges but they would not stand. Nine days later, on
September 21, 2022, the outcry of his supporters combined with increased
international pressure led to his release, though it would be short-lived.
After the unjust murder of Mahsa Amini, Toomaj joined his fellow countrymen in
the streets. Between his rap lyrics, and joining the protests, the IRGC tried
to paint Toomaj as a terrorist, saying “he’s
a leader of the riots, and he incites violence.” I posit that the regime is
fearful of truth-tellers like Toomaj. He is a leader but not in the way that he
has been painted. Just a month later, Toomaj was re-arrested on October 30,
2022. They blind-folded him, placed handcuffs on his wrists, and shoved him
back into one of their vans. The state
media claimed that Toomaj was fleeing the country in order to tarnish his
reputation even further and paint him as not only a terrorist but a coward.
Toomaj is no coward; he would not abandon
his fellow Iranians as they continue to fight for freedom. After all, freedom is not a crime!
On November 26, 2022, after he had been sitting in a prison cell for some time, the Revolutionary Court held Toomaj’s trial behind closed doors where he would face a different set of charges. His lawyer was barred from seeing him or providing any sort of legal defense. Instead, Toomaj was charged with “Moharebeh” {enemy of God} and corruption upon the earth. He is in imminent danger of being executed. As of this writing, his family has not heard from or spoken to Toomaj since his latest arrest. He is currently being held in Dastgard Prison where he has undergone severe physical and psychological torture. It has been over 100 days since Toomaj was placed in solitary confinement and he has wavered in and out of consciousness since the start of his sentence. His body has been wracked with pain. At this point in time, they have broken his ribs, making each breath nearly unbearable. They have broken one of his legs, leaving him unable to walk. Other injuries include a broken nose and fingers. Toomaj has also lost his eyesight in one eye. He has gone on a hunger strike to protest the unjust and downright cruel ways in which the regime continues to treat political prisoners.
Security forces have denied Toomaj from
receiving any level of medical care, of which he is in urgent need. They are
doing everything they can to break his spirit but he continues to be strong in
the face of it all. To fight for his life and not back down from speaking the
truth, it must be noted that psychological torture is no joke. Though he is a
freedom fighter and has a strong will to survive each hardship that is thrust
upon him, he is also a human being. Toomaj is struggling with the battle going
on in his mind. The mental scars he carries will require much healing. Toomaj
knew the risks but he has always stood his ground. He exemplifies courage and
truth is important to him. Do not believe any false confessions that the regime
would seek to extract from him and use as another means to promote fear. I do
not believe that he would compromise the truth. In this age and hour, every
evil thing will be exposed and brought to the light. For close to four decades,
the regime has set themselves up as “God.” However, in the {ongoing} fight for
freedom, the people's courage and their bravery speaks more powerfully.
Join in this fight for freedom, for freedom is worth fighting for. Be Toomaj’s voice, as he has been a voice for the voiceless and has inspired positive change all over the world. As for this regime, they are being exposed for everything that they are and for everything that they stand for. Their time will soon come to an end!
