On Saturday, November 1, 2025 (9 Aban 1404), the Zoroastrian Center of California—Orange County, in collaboration with the Pasargad Heritage Foundation, held a ceremony honoring Cyrus the Great, marking 7 Aban, Cyrus the Great Day, with participation from enthusiasts of Iranian history and culture.
Wisdom and Peaceful Leadership
The ceremony opened with the national anthem Ey Iran, followed by remarks from Zoroastrian activist Mitra Diniari. She highlighted Cyrus’s dedication to truth, justice, and spreading peace, saying: “Cyrus the Great, over 2,500 years ago, followed Ahura Mazda’s teachings and his own wisdom to govern in a way that brought pride and comfort to his people.”
Diniari stressed that remembering our past helps shape a present worthy of Iran and recited verses from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. She added: “We honor Cyrus today because he respected people’s freedom, valued humanity, and celebrated life and liberty.”
She concluded with the hope that we can all follow his example, embracing wisdom, conscience, and a spirit of freedom and humanity.
The Silent Cylinder: The Legacy of Cyrus the Great
Shokouh Mirzadegi, writer and human rights advocate, spoke at the Cyrus the Great commemoration, highlighting the deep roots of Iran’s culture: “Our culture has endured because two great Iranians—Zoroaster, the irreplaceable prophet, and Cyrus, a wise and powerful leader—both honored Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord.”
She added: “Our national culture, born of wisdom and knowledge, does not age but evolves, remaining vibrant and relevant through time.”
Addressing critics who dismiss Iranian culture, she stated: “A culture that has lasted thousands of years and continues to adapt in the 21st century is real—an undeniable reality.”
Mirzadegi referred to the 193 UN member states that supported global recognition of Pasargad, noting:
“They did not vote for mere stones or a long-gone empire; they voted for a legacy of wisdom that, over 2,000 years ago, established laws later reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—laws promoting tolerance, freedom, the abolition of forced labor, and peace for all.”
She emphasized that the principles of the Cyrus Charter remain relevant today, adding that comprehension of these ideals was rare until the Enlightenment.
Concluding, she quoted McGregor, former director of the British Museum: “Amid debates about the Middle East, the strongest voice is that of the silent cylinder—the Cyrus Cylinder.”
Cyrus the Great: The First Founder of Secularism
Homer Abramian, a scholar of Persian culture and language, began his talk on Cyrus the Great by referencing the Torah: “In the Torah, Cyrus appears with the ‘Mashiach’ program, meaning Messiah or liberator—a role not granted to just anyone, especially someone who was not Jewish.”
He explained that although Cyrus is remembered as the liberator of the Jews, his actions were far broader: “First, he freed all captives, but only the Jews honored him and preserved this act in their records. Second, he allowed people who had been in captivity for decades, whose homes were destroyed and cities ravaged, to remain in Iran, while aiding those who wished to return to their homelands.”
According to historical accounts, Cyrus sent Iranian soldiers to protect these displaced peoples and even included musicians and entertainers to maintain their morale on the journey.
Abramian noted: “When Cyrus visited the Babylonian temple, he called Marduk the great god—not out of personal belief, but to comfort a defeated and heartbroken people.”
Through such acts, Abramian argued, Cyrus laid the foundations of secularism.
He also highlighted the often-overlooked role of the Iranian army: “Much has been said about Cyrus himself, but little about the soldiers who, following his principles, treated the defeated with respect. These soldiers did not loot, destroy, or harm lives after victory—unlike many conquerors of that era—and this adherence to Cyrus’s ethos deserves recognition.”
Cyrus: King and Champion of Humanity
Ardeshir Babaknia, Iranian Jewish physician and surgeon, highlighted Cyrus’s enduring relevance “Cyrus granted people freedom in their faith, a tolerance still rare in many countries today. He is truly a king and monarch of humanity.”
He added: “A message survives only if it carries deep meaning. Cyrus valued life and freedom and forbade torture—principles still relevant, even as some nations today violate them.”
In recognition of cultural contributions, Babaknia presented one of his artworks to Shokouh Mirzadegi, honored by the Pasargad Foundation.
Aban 7: Reclaiming Iranian Collective Identity
Linguist and professor Sudabeh Malekzadeh emphasized Cyrus as both a wise leader and skilled strategist: “He led with fairness toward friends and tolerance toward foes.”
She noted that Cyrus reflected the principles of Iranian culture, where women had property rights, slavery was banned, and forced labor unknown. “Iranians see themselves in Cyrus, who valued a strong, united Iran committed to peace and freedom. November 7 is the day to reclaim this collective identity.”
Cyrus the Great: A Beacon of Cultural Resilience
Bijan Khalili, publisher and writer, honored Cyrus the Great as a symbol of Iranian cultural endurance, calling him the father of the Iranian nation—a figure largely forgotten for over a millennium until the Constitutional Revolution. Khalili, founder of Sherkat Ketab, attributed this neglect to cultural suppression:
“It is misleading to claim Cyrus is a fabrication while pointing to Ferdowsi, Hafez, and Saadi, who never mentioned him, yet ignoring the deliberate cultural erasure of his legacy.”
He also highlighted Ardeshirnameh by Molana Shahin Shirazi, an Iranian Jewish poet, as one of the earliest works during this period to celebrate Cyrus. Written in the 8th century AH, it combines Persian language with Hebrew script.
The Cyrus commemoration, held from 4 PM to 8 PM, featured speeches, performances, group dances, and daf drumming, alongside an exhibition of books and artworks.
