Furthermore, a video of the poetry reading “We Are Nothing and Nothing,” republished in Rashid Kakavand’s special program about the Brotherhood, suggests a different inspiration behind the poem. In this program, Akhavan states that he was inspired by the beauty of a peach tree he saw in the yard. This version of events is corroborated by literary scholar Morteza Amiri Esfandighe, who dismisses any link between the poem and the dispute with Khamenei. Esfandighe places the poem in the broader context of poetic traditions of figures like Khaghani, Hafez, Bidel, and Sohrab Sepehri and even highlights the Brotherhood’s emotional relationship with Khamenei.
The claim that the Brotherhood’s pensions were cut following Khamenei’s rejection has been repeated by sources such as Deutsche Welle. However, the impartiality of these sources is questionable, and the original narratives contain contradictions. For example, Deutsche Welle’s report states: “Some criticize the Brotherhood for saying in an interview published in the magazine Donyayeh Sokhan a month before his death that he was willing to go to Khamenei and ask for the return of several poets living abroad, including Esmaeil Khoei. Akhavan, who had come to Germany a few months before his death at the invitation of the House of World Cultures, repeated this statement in private gatherings as well.”
The critique of the Brotherhood’s statement rests on the assumption that he harbored a personal enmity with Khamenei. However, no evidence supports this assumption apart from a quote from Faraj Sarkouhi. Given Sarkouhi’s known hostility toward the Islamic Republic, more credible sources are needed to substantiate this claim. Moreover, Akhavan’s willingness to mediate for figures like Esmaeil Khoei contradicts the notion of a personal dispute with Khamenei.