Samad Beh-Rang

From an Azerbaijani folk song:

Should the enemy declare with triumph: "Samad is dead!"

I will put my hand on my chest and say:

"Samad lives here,

in my heart,

his death couldn't separate him from his people..."

So many books are published nowadays. A few among them have a realistic approach as they describe the lives of ordinary people, some raise awareness about economic and social problems and their impact on the majority of population in any given society. Some portray life in slums and ghettos, show facts about crime, prostitution, poverty, unemployment, hunger, addiction, etc; but only a few might offer solutions to those problems.

Samad Beh-Rang's timeless stories shape the lives of people who read them. They have messages for children, young adults, intellectuals, progressives, teachers and those who are willing and receptive. He believes that children's literature must portray the realities of life instead of having their heads in the clouds. He gives them awareness, wisdom and guidance, arms them for the right reasons versus guns, violence and terrorism. Readers learn to play an active role in the struggle against poverty in societies where the majority of the hard working population has a hand-to-mouth existence.

"24 Hours Between Dream & Reality" is a guide to action written by Behrangi and translated by Ruby Emam. This book totally addresses the above issues.

The Little Black Fish is based on the life of Che Guevara, one of the greatest freedom-fighters of our era. Unfortunately this underlying code seems to have been misunderstood by other translators, as they all have used a female character for the hero.

The path the Little Black Fish takes to reach the sea is laid out carefully, and every step and conversation is intended to convey a strong message which needs study and consideration, and may at times go beyond small children's understanding, but the story is fascinating for all ages.

The story of The Little Black Fish centers around stepping outside the confides of a life without a purpose, drawing a distinction between the static portrayal of "life as it is", and a dynamic approach about "life as it should be". When he starts his journey, The Little Black Fish doesn't have a solution but he recognizes the problem. The path leads him towards wisdom, courage, awareness and study of human characters. His quest is: "How will my life or death impact the lives of others?"

As the story develops, there are valuable lessons for the young readers such as: questioning what they hear, diversity and tolerance for others, guns and animal cruelty, child labor, aiming high, genocide, teamwork, being part of the solution, impacting others, and raising awareness.

In "An In-Depth Analysis of Pedagogic Deadlock" Samad wrote:

"Children's literature must build a bridge between the colorful dream world full of fantasy and illusion, and a tougher real world full of twists and turns. The child armed with the torch of knowledge, awareness and guidance, must cross this bridge and set foot to the intense ruggedness of the bigger world."

Little did Samad Beh-Rang know that he would face the same fate as his creation, or maybe he knew it all? Beh-Rang was arrested at the age of 29, his body was found in the Araz River, ironically the very river that took "The Little Black Fish" to the (Caspian) Sea; proving that no matter how powerful the enemy, it takes more than guns to kill a man. He is a hero, a national icon, and his real death will be the time when his name is wiped off memories.

A link to Washington Times article entitled: "Iran Hangs a Little Fish":

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/11/iran-hangs-a-little-fish/