POLITICS
Reflections on Iran Protests
A journey through history and a humble salute to the brave people who took to the streets
Like the whole world, I am watching the bravery of women and men in Iran with utmost admiration.
I find it difficult to put my feelings into words. But I’ll try.
Let’s start with a little flashback to history.
Iran is this beautiful country with an amazing cultural heritage dating as far back as 7000 BC. It is one of the world’s oldest civilisations.
Persian language has long been a lingua franca not only in Iran’s immediate surrounding region but even in South and East Asia.
It’s the language in which Rumi, Al-Ghazali, Al-Farabi, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam and Ibn Sina have written in.
I am humbled by how much Persian has contributed to my own language. It’s true for western languages as well.
Iran’s heritage and legacy in today’s world is not widely known and appreciated outside of its neighbouring countries.
This is mostly due to the Eurocentric version of the history we are taught in school that disproportionately highlights the historical events in the European world while completely failing to acknowledge the legacy of other major civilisations. It’s a legacy of colonialism that distorts the way we learn about the world.
That’s why people are finding it hard to understand how the women in Iran are so emancipated and brave. I don’t at all.
People of Iran made the world turn their eyes to this country as they have been actively writing history twice in the past decades; 1979 and now.
The 1979 Revolution was against monarchy but also colonialism.
Fed up with the collaborative plunder of the country by the Shah family and the British colonialists, people took to the streets and took the power in their hands.
Tragically, the fruits of this powerful movement were reaped by the Mullahs who seized political authority. A revolution that is followed by even a worse counter-revolution that made people miss the Shah family. A missed opportunity of creating potentially one of the world’s most powerful true democracies.
Many Iranians have gradually left the country since. Especially women whose lives have turned to living hell.
Here we are, 43 years later, when the people are saying “Enough is Enough”.
The whole world is standing with women and men in Iran in their righteous fight for a life in freedom and dignity.
Because they have won everyone’s hearts by showing that with courage and solidarity you can stand up even against one of the world’s oddest regimes, that lacks the capacity to level up with the intellectual sophistication of its citizens.
Now, if you are one of those people who will come and tell me that the protests are contributing to Western neo-colonialism, take a step back.
Breathe in and out and see what is really happening here.
This is not about geopolitics. This is about women’s rights, about human’s rights and even the most basic of those.
By claiming this as a geopolitically motivated movement, you are disrespecting the agency of the women and men on the streets who put their lives at stake just for the sake of being free to be who they are.
So I suggest you at least stay silent if you are not going to be in solidarity.
Those outside of Iran, let’s keep showing these amazing people that they are not alone. Women, Life, Freedom!
