Mehran during his life in Iran and post-immigration experiences, was able to compare various common aspects between these two cultures. The ceremonies and contemplation may have looked so far from each other, but experiencing and understanding both cultures made him realize the massive similarities they carry within the reasons.
Ashura is the 10th of Muharram in the first month of the Islamic calendar and the day of the death of Husayn in Ali (a grandson of Muhammad), who was beheaded during the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. On this mourning day, some of the extreme religious groups in Iran with machetes make multiple cuts on their heads to show devotion and dedication. This act may be incomprehensible for some, but it is surely spiritual for those who are deeply in love with their own beliefs.
On the other hand, there was another group with romantic love that had to be formed because it was excluded and banned to be freely practiced. He photographs the moment of happiness and joy, nudity, and breaking taboos. He shows free love can exist in any shape and form. Love the strongest force, the unifier. Although the differences between these two groups are massive as one of them is searching for identity and the other one is fighting for its faith, there is one common string between them and that is love. Love is an international feeling that goes beyond religious beliefs and sexual orientation and identity. All humans can use love as a bridge to gather around and leave our differences behind.
We must not allow any government and politics to abuse the power of any groups to advertise their own policy and create more conflict and more classification within us.
