I watched with horror, grief, and tears in my eyes as the events of the last week unfolded. We witnessed a catastrophic massacre of Iranians seeking nothing more than the basic freedom to exist outside an oppressive system. As conflicts ignite in various corners of the world, it feels as though the fabric of our global society is tearing at the seams.
Yet, amidst the darkness, there was a silver lining: The emergence of the physician as a beacon of unwavering ethics. Reports have surfaced of hundreds of Iranian physicians who, at immense personal risk, documented and treated the wounded. They worked without regard for their own safety or the political beliefs of those on their tables. Their actions represent the core of our identity. What they believe is what we, as physicians the world over, must believe: the solidarity of the human race and the sanctity of human life.
The physician’s office as a sanctuary
Ideas cannot, will not, and should not be spread by violence. As world conditions deteriorate into warring factions, our offices remain a refuge for the sanctity of the individual. Within the four walls of an exam room, a patient’s right to be cared for is absolute. It is independent of their vote, their creed, or their geography. As physicians, we do not take the violent approach to establish our ideas; instead, we stand against oppressive systems that deny the full equality of human beings.
I saw this truth play out in a deeply personal way prior to the last election. My office was located on a street in Northeast Ohio that served as a literal dividing line between two political extremes. On one side of the street, the rhetoric was vitriolic; on the other, it was equally unyielding. I was amazed to realize that these humans, who seemingly hated each other in the digital sphere, shared the same beating heart and the same fundamental aspirations.
Outside, they were combatants. But in my waiting room, that hatred melted away. I watched as people from opposite ends of the political spectrum were polite, kind, and empathetic to one another. In the presence of shared human vulnerability, the artificial barriers fell.
If a small waiting room can bridge the deepest divide in our country, and if physicians in Iran can risk their lives to treat the wounded regardless of belief, then our profession holds a blueprint for the world. We must expand this model. Our voices must carry beyond the clinic. We are the witnesses to the same beating heart. In a world that feels increasingly dehumanized, the physician’s office may truly be the last refuge where full humanity is kept alive.
Farid Sabet-Sharghi is a psychiatrist.
