TEHRAN – “Heritage of Majid”, a TV series about the Iranian nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari, is under production at Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The director of the series is Hossein Tabrizi, who wants to introduce the Iranian nuclear scientist to the next generation.

“We want our next generation to know more about our scientists and also want to encourage others to follow their paths,” Tabrizi has said. 

As an expert of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Shahriari was assassinated in Tehran on November 29, 2010.

“The idea of terrorism is sinister all over the world no matter what. But who is assassinated makes the story important,” he said. 

“Before I decided to make a TV series about martyr Shahriari, I used to think he might be a politician, having had his own goals, but when I entered his life and got to know more about him, and studied his academic and personal life, I questioned why such a personality had to be assassinated,” he added. 

“Martyr Shahriari was a highly educated man who was able to solve difficult atomic issues,” he noted. 

Tabrizi said that the story begins with the assassination and later goes into the life story of the martyr and the strenuous efforts made by the security guards to neutralize several assassination attempts. 

The series also intends to highlight the ethical, epistemological and academic aspects of the martyr.

“We also try to put the spotlight on the major characteristic of nuclear science in daily life. Some people only think of bombs and nuclear war when they hear the word atom, while many things in our lives such as medical technologies are made by atoms.

“Films and TV series can give us an opportunity to display other characteristics of the personality. The assassination of the nuclear scientists may halt the projects for a short while, but we have many more scientists who will continue on their paths,” he added.

He also explained that actor Kaveh Khodashenas is playing the role of Shahriari because of his facial features and mild manner, he could better display the personality of the martyr. 

Shahriari was born in Zanjan in 1966. He finished school in Zanjan and continued his studies in Tehran.

He graduated with a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Amirkabir in Tehran. He was a professor at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran.
 
“Martyr of Science” is a book written about Shahriari. Its Arabic translation was published last summer.

The book has been translated by Hassan Matar and published by Tamkin Publications in Iraq.

The Arabic version of the book was distributed in Iraq and Lebanon in collaboration with the Iranian firm, Raheyar Publications.

In the book, relatives, friends, students and colleagues recount memories of Shahriari.

Photo: Kaveh Khodashenas portrays the Iranian nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari in the TV series “Heritage of Majid”.

RM/MMS/YAW