Martyr Morteza Aviny was born in Iran in the year 1947. It was in the Pahlavi era when he began his studies at the School of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. As he described himself, “I studied at a school of arts for years. I used to go to evening gatherings to recite poetry and visit painting galleries. I listened to classical music.”
He wore a tie and lived a western lifestyle. He frequently smoked cigarettes and had a passion for Western philosophy. Yet, he had a quest for finding the Truth.
Regarding his search for the Truth, he said: “luckily, life took me to a path where I had to be honest with myself first, and with others second; and deeply acknowledge that pretending to be knowledgeable can never replace being knowledgeable and even that knowledge cannot be obtained by merely studying philosophy. One should be searching out for truth and truth is the asset that anyone who truly seeks, will find it and they will find it close to themselves.”
In his search for the missing truth, Aviny grew a passion for Islamic thoughts and his life turned over when he met the soldiers of the fight against Saddam’s invasion of Iran between the years 1980 and 1988.
Addressing young people, he says:
“Truth is an asset that anyone who truly seeks it will find it. I am talking to you about a treaded path…, I have tried to remove myself from the scene so that all that is there is God and I have, thanks be to God, remained committed to this decision. Of course, what one writes is always the flow of their inner thoughts. That is true about all forms of arts: one who makes movies, his works are the flow of his inner thoughts. However, if one dissolves in God, then it is God who will emerge in their works. This humble person has no claim he has achieved that, but this is what I try to do.”
While investigating a location in Fakkeh for filming his documentary “The City Man” on April 9, 1993, Morteza Aviny stepped on a mine remaining from the Saddam’s war on Iran and became a martyr, thus achieving the dream he had long yearned for. The following video contains sentences by Marty Aviny about Truth, humanity and his relation with God.
