Ceremony of November 7: 'A floral wreath was placed next to the tomb of Cyrus'

On Tuesday, police in Shiraz prevented a gathering of admirers paying tribute to Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid king. November 7 corresponds to October 29, marking Cyrus's entry into Babylon in 539 BC. In previous years, a number of Iranian citizens and 19 senior historians from various countries have requested that November 7 be officially recognized as 'Cyrus Day' in Iran's calendar. However, after protests from some Shia clerics close to the government (especially Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamadani) against a significant gathering of supporters for the official recognition of this anniversary in Pasargadae on November 7, 1395, gatherings at Cyrus's tomb have been prohibited. According to unofficial reports, in recent days, some citizens have received anonymous text messages warning that gatherings in Pasargadae are illegal and should be avoided. Despite this, what did supporters of naming November 7 as 'Cyrus Day' do this year? In an interview with Radio Farda, Kourosh Zaim, a member of the Central Council of the National Front of Iran, who had spoken at the gathering in Pasargadae two years ago, said that today one of the supporters managed to pass the security barriers with permission from the stationed officers and placed a floral wreath next to Cyrus's tomb. However, he added that no one was allowed to gather, and due to the security fencing, this was not possible. Zaim also recalls Parviz Varjavand, the former Secretary-General of the National Front of Iran, who in the later years of his life was a proponent of the gathering in Pasargadae and supported the naming of Cyrus Day. Zaim mentioned that he held ceremonies last year and even during his imprisonment on this day. He added that before the interview with Radio Farda, a group gathered at his home in respect for Cyrus, and this ceremony is still ongoing. Zaim also noted that several of his friends and acquaintances held similar ceremonies at their homes. On November 20, 1397, Bahram Parsai, a representative from Shiraz, criticized President Hassan Rouhani in a public speech, stating that while the president presents Iran as the savior of the Jews in international travels, he refers Parsai's request to officially recognize November 7 to the Supreme National Security Council. Zaim calls Rouhani's action 'irrelevant' and states that despite the lack of grounds for officially recognizing the anniversary of Cyrus's entry into Babylon in the calendar, citizens' movements in this direction will continue. A member of the Central Council of the National Front of Iran mentioned that he had previously sent an official letter to UNESCO requesting that October 29, corresponding to November 7, be internationally recognized as 'Cyrus Day,' but the organization has yet to respond to this request.