This is my first political post on this website. I am an Iranian American Jewish woman. In our tradition we are taught that we have to stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves and to be the voice of the voiceless. “Never Again” has been our mantra since the end of World War II. Unfortunately, human beings have short attention spans. History tends to repeat itself as we see injustice, intolerance, division, hatred and genocide again and again.

My family and I were uprooted from our homeland in 1979, when then-U.S. President Carter criticized the Shah of Iran for human rights violations. Foreign governments meddled in the Middle east again by toppling the Shah and replacing him with the Islamic regime of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Where are the voices condemning mass murders of young girls and women for improper hijab or imprisoning and executing journalists and political prisoners in Iran now? The degree of hypocrisy and media’s lack of interest and coverage is intolerable – the silence is deafening.

As I write this article, the brutal and barbaric government forces have set fire to the Evin prison in Tehran, murdering journalists, writers, artists and protesters against the regime. Where is the outrage? Where is the United Nations’ response to this act of violence and human rights violation?

Two weeks ago, a 22 year old Kurdish Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini, who was visiting Tehran with her family, was singled out at a train station by the morality police for showing a few strands of hair and beaten to death. Mahsa Amini’s murder has sparked unprecedented protests all over Iran along with chants of Mahsa’s name and #zanzendegiazadi (Woman, Life, Freedom). Iran is on the cusp of a woman-led revolution, yet most western media outlets have remained silent in the wake of the Biden’s administration’s upcoming Nuclear deal talks with Iran.

Please raise your voice and stand with us in our fight for freedom. Iran (and the rich culture and heritage of Persia) has been occupied by the Islamic Republic for the past forty years. Enough is enough. Help us raise awareness about the plight of Persian youth and finally topple the brutal regime.

#womanlifefreedom

#mahsa_amini

#FreeIran

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