He’s got drawing under his skin since he was a child. And yet, he lived in a country that did not allow him to express himself as he wished to. Mana Neyestani carries the freedom of expression at the tip of his pen. After being imprisoned in Iran for his drawings, he opted for exile, in the land of human rights, to pursue his struggle and carry the voice of free Iranians as far as possible. At a time when his native country is in turmoil and Iranians are demanding their rights at the cost of their lives, he opened up in an exclusive interview.
Why did you flee Iran?
I left Iran in 2006, following problems created by one of my illustrations in a weekly magazine for children. I was imprisoned for three months, but I took advantage of a short period of release to flee the country with my wife. The long journey took us from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur, passing through Ankara and Istanbul. We stayed in Malaysia from 2007 until we obtained the support of ICORN, a human rights organization in2001. We then landed in Paris where we have been living as refugees since 2012.
When did you start illustrating? Are your drawings a weapon against repression?
Illustration runs through my veins, ever since I was a child. My editorial cartoons come as an echo to everything around me, namely the Islamic theocracy and dictatorship. If you try to free your thoughts and step out of the box, you are considered an enemy of the regime. Your pen, your camera or your brush would become a weapon against the regime.
Even if an artist’s goal is to convey some kind of messages, art in itself is as important as the message. I do editorial sketches which is a form of journalistic art. It is inevitable for me to convey strong messages about society and politics. On the other hand, I love cartooning as a means of expression and I would never trade it for any other weapon.
From your point of view, is current opposition to the regime more powerful and does it have a chance to succeed?
I think so, given the wide range of social groups involved in this movement. In 2009, the middle class came forward. Between 2017 and 2019, it was more the lower class that took action. Now it’s everyone, especially the youth and the new women generation who no longer has any fear. The slogan of the movement today is: Woman, Life, Freedom, which is modern! It is very important in a society like Iran’s which has been patriarchal for centuries. Even the 1979 Islamic revolution was a patriarchal movement that set the society centuries back. I don’t know if it will bring a regime change, but I’m sure there was a significant change somewhere… it is still a big step.
Are you threatened by the regime? Do you feel insecure?
Officially, not yet. However, the regime uses a cyber army to threaten exiled activists. They have fake accounts they use to attack you, accuse you, and spread fabricated stories against you. They would manipulate public opinion, spread misinformation and sometimes threaten people with private messages!
Do you think your drawings are as powerful as you want them to be?
Sometimes they are, sometimes not. Occasionally, they create misunderstandings. This is the essence of an image; it can be interpreted. In Persian we say: “A good cartoon could have the impact of 1000 articles”. I believe a cartoon can never replace thousands of articles, but it could complement them, make their impact stronger and faster.
Do you feel anger when you see your people tortured and killed?
You bet I do! Especially when you see the pictures of girls and young people murdered in the streets, just for expressing their wishes! What makes me most angry is the idea that the future generation has to endure the same suffering that we have experienced. This must change!
Your drawings are published all over the world. Is this your way of resisting the oppression?
Yes, it is. This is my way of spreading the reality. Dictatorship and tyranny systems always try to falsify history and events. They attack people’s memories. This is a battle against falsification and erasing memory!
P.S.: I met Mana Neyestami virtually when I was working on Beirut Mon Amour, the first collective book about the August 4, 2020 disaster at the port of Beirut. One of the contributors had been struck by the strength of a drawing she sent me, which represented the port blast. I eventually found the name of the author of this drawing, as well as his Instagram account. I sent him a message, asking if I could use his drawing to illustrate a text. What a very pleasant surprise it was to receive the drawing in high resolution via email. Since then, I have been following Neyestani and am a fan of his brave and beautiful illustrations that are worth a thousand words!