Momayez, forever with us
It was December 2005. Momayez had passed away but none of us were ready to believe. He was beside us with his laughter, advices, admonishes, angers, guidance, criticism and with his entire being in full attire. Those days, everywhere was the word of Momayez. The volume of materials published in the media about this event was above imagination. He had gone, but we felt his presence fully to the limit that we left the editorial space blank. We didn’t like to mourn him or to remind ourselves of his loss. At the same time, we decided to publish a special issue in 2006 on the anniversary of his 70th birthday. Three weeks after his loss, we started to work on this special issue. It was a difficult job. We reviewed our memories from him. We remembered that it took 14 months from the first meeting of the editorial board of Neshan until publication of the first issue. He was always emphasizing on the seriousness and serenity of the magazine. He used to say that Neshan will become a document witnessing our work and our time. He wanted us not to think of single issues but to see the future.
Times and again after publishing each issue, he criticized us. May be it was also a kind of self-criticism as the editor in chief. Even when he was stick to bed at home, he never fell short. Once he called while we were in a meeting and asked to turn the loudspeaker on. Then he started criticizing all of us around the table, one by one. In his last few months, he did not take part in the meetings but did not fail to call one of us at the end of the meeting. He was curious to know the stage of affairs. He was so impatient he couldn’t wait till morning. Gradually, we got used to his calls and expected them. Whenever one of our telephone rang, we used to say jokingly that it’s him, it’s Morteza. His voice was so willful and zealous that he could not conceal anything and his memory was so strong that we could not ignore any job. Sometimes we met in his house. In those meetings, he was even more open to criticism. We were his guests and he used his upper hand as the host very well. His criticism grew harsher and more cruel. However, his love of the profession and his care for Neshan were so evident in his words that nobody could fee any insult in his criticisms.
He used to read each published issue very carefully. In one of the issues, two dots were missing on a letter in the name of a Swiss designer. He made us to change the cover and print it all over again. He told us: Do you like to receive a magazine with your name wrongly spelled on its cover?
Just two nights before his death we went to the hospital to pay him a visit. He talked about the subject of the five coming issues and discussed his points. He said he will come to the editorial meetings to complete those issues after his current therapy cycle.
It is said that only good deeds and happy memories survive human beings. Now, we have happy memories from Momayez for the future 70 years and we still enjoy recalling his words, his jokes and his intelligent wit.
To be frank, we don’t wait for him anymore. As ever, he is the most punctual of all. Every Saturday, at 17:30 sharp, he comes to the weekly meeting of Neshan. His chair is empty but he is present. At the end of the meeting, he still calls one of us. Nobody is on the other side of the line, but we can hear his voice. He is beside us and will remain with us, forever.
Neshan Magazine