On Our "Virtual Route 99" (Special Edition): A Tribute to the Iranian People
Iran is one of the world’s oldest civilizations and the birthplace of human rights , first articulated over 2,500 years ago by Cyrus the Great . However, Iran’s enduring importance and resilience have always flowed from something deeper: Iranians and Iranian culture . Across centuries of hardship, upheaval, invasion, and injustice, Iranians have always prevailed, not because of power or politics, but because of our art, poetry, music, philosophy, language, and collective memory . Iranian culture has been the vessel that has carried our values forward when institutions have failed. It has always preserved our identity when freedom was denied and has paved the way to self-determination, keeping meaning and coherence alive in the darkest times. Thank you to the Iranian people for what you have given the world through culture, literature, art, and for your enduring belief in human dignity . May you always shine brightly as the true representatives of our culture.
