Woe to a Nation That Does Not Have a Hero

Brecht wrote his famous play, "The Life of Galileo," in 1938. His apparent motivation in this work was the news of the splitting of the atom by German physicists, but in this piece, he wanted to answer two essential questions of the 20th century. Firstly, is it possible to violate all human principles for the advancement of science, and secondly, in a society where an inhuman government rules it, how can one tell the truth? The Islamic regime ruling Iranian society nowadays is in the same state of mind as Galileo's time, the 16 and 17th centuries. In dictatorial societies, intellectuals and athletes are praised as long as they can be helpful regarding material benefits. The religious clergy will lose power and their businesses if society has heroes. Therefore, during the recent protests and executions, athletes have been targeted. Actors and producers were arrested. This article seeks to answer the central question of what is the responsibility of the intellectual class and the international community in the era of tyranny and an authoritarian regime.