TEHRAN – Poet Seyyed Ali Musavi Garmarudi and actor Faramarz Qaribian have been added to the list of the 40 cultural figures who will be honored in the program “Forty Days of Love” on October 21.

The National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) has organized the program to honor those cultural figures who have created outstanding works about the tragedy of Ashura over the past century.

Garmarudi will be honored for his poetry on Ashura named “Bloodline”, and Qaribian for his role in the film “The Messenger” directed by Fariborz Saleh, the NLAI announced on Monday.

Qaribian portrays Qays ibn Musahir Al Saidawi, an envoy of Imam Hussein (AS), who is martyred on the way to Kufa. 

Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, the day upon which Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions were martyred in Karbala as a result of their valiant stand against the injustices of the oppressive Umayyad dynasty in 680 CE.

Earlier last week, the NLAI announced that master of Persian miniature Mahmud Farshchian and director and writer Bahram Beizai are among other artists who will be honored in the program. 

Farshchian has created several paintings including “The Evening of Ashura”, “Ali-Asghar (AS)” and “The Standard-Bearer of Truth” about the tragedy of Ashura.

Beizai is the writer of the play “The Fateful Day”, a screen adaptation of which was made by director Shahram Asadi in 1995.

The film is the story of a Christian man who converts to Islam for the love of a Muslim girl. At the wedding, he hears voices calling for help. He leaves the ceremony and takes a journey to Karbala. But he arrives at the end of the Battle of Karbala after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions.

In addition, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra will be performing “The Fateful Day” film score composed by Iranian maestro Majid Entezami at the honoring program. Entezami himself will conduct the concert. 

Photo: This combination photo shows actor Faramarz Qaribian (L) and poet Seyyed Ali Musavi Garmarudi. 

RM/MMS/YAW