200 nights, one flag

from Tehran Times

On Kharg Island, the darkness settles over the humid waters of the Persian Gulf. In Shiraz, the lights of the squares come on beneath the evening sky. In Sanandaj, people make their way toward Azadi Square. In Birjand, families gather in the cold. In Tonekabon, on the Caspian coast, an elderly war veteran walks slowly toward the crowd.

And in Arak, beneath the lights of Martyrs Square, a woman sits behind a sewing machine.

Her name is Zahra Fattahi.

For almost 200 nights, she has brought the machine with her, repairing damaged Iranian flags and preparing them to be raised again.

That image — a woman, a sewing machine, a piece of torn fabric and a square filled with people — may say more about these nights than any official statement.

Two hundred nights have now passed since nightly gatherings began in cities across Iran following the outbreak of war. What started in the immediate aftermath of the conflict has, according to reports by Mehr News Agency correspondents, continued through heat, humidity, rain and winter cold.

The gatherings have been different from city to city. Some have centered on mourning. Others have included cultural programs, Quran recitations, music, children's activities, food and tea booths, speeches and family gatherings.

But beneath the differences is one recurring image: people returning to the same public spaces night after night...

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