December 2022 was my 45th anniversary since I made it to this blessed land, America. A land that I fell in love with. Like many of my fellow Iranian compatriots, I never imagined extending my stay in the US beyond four years at the university. Let me remind you that Iranians are not beggars. We don’t ask for charity.
We are extremely proud people. Most of us never expect anything from the host country or demand any special privileges. Most of us have assimilated nicely. A major reason for the Iranian assimilation and success in the U.S. is the U.S. itself which provides an ambiance conducive to self-advancement, be it in science, business, or any other field of endeavor. Another reason is that Iranians inherently share and cherish the same values that America’s founding fathers enshrined in this nation’s charter of life.
Although the Islamic Revolution forced the removal of the Shah of Iran and the war with Iraq was imposed on our motherland, I was still determined to go back home. What deterred me from returning was my family.
Mother kept telling me that this is not the same Iran you left. This is a different Iran. She also warned me if I went back, the Islamic regime would immediately recruit me and send me to the front lines – the same war zone that took the lives of many of my high school friends. It was a terrifying feeling. The adrenalin was rushing through my veins, and fighting an enemy was all I could think of. I said, Mom, my friends lost their lives to defend their country. I find it my duty to come home and do the same. Please say no more. To no avail, she kept begging me not to come back and wait until the war ended. She continued Khomeini’s regime doesn’t care about Iran or the lives of Iranians. In fact, he despises Iran. She convinced me that I could do more for Iran in a free US than in a war zone where I would most likely not survive. I listened to her motherly advice and stayed while continuing with my higher education.
Fast Forward
Forty-four years have passed, and the Islamic Republic is still doing what it did forty-four years ago. Iran has been under the rule of Islam since 1979. The Iranian people have attempted numerous times to end the rule of the backward Islamic regime, but each time they were faced with the ruthless regime’s apparatus, and many of them were slaughtered while the world watched and did nothing.
In four decades of its existence, the Islamic Republic has managed, notably, to produce more hunger, anger, frustration, prostitution at a record pace, drug addiction beyond control, child executions without any regard for international human rights, and much more. There are many reports regarding cases of child sexual abuse and molestation reaching epidemic proportions.
Prosecution and imprisonment of the innocent and the systematic and illegal abuse of detainees, and hundreds of gruesome acts of torture and rape in the prisons have skyrocketed. Meanwhile, the United Nations did not even blink while European countries continued to expand their businesses with the Islamic regime.
On Sep 16, 2022, Mahsa Jina Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish girl, was taken into custody and killed by “morality” police for her “unacceptable” hijab.” This was a spark that led to massive nationwide protests across Iran. Iran’s protests may well be the first time in history that women have been both the spark and engine for an attempted counter-revolution. Anne O’Donnell, a Russia historian at New York University, said: Iran’s protests have been unique because, she said, “this is not just an upheaval involving women, it is an upheaval about women and women’s freedom, and that makes it very special.”
Although Mahsa Amini’s death sparked massive and widespread protests, these protests did not transpire spontaneously. They are a symptom of deep-seated and festering dissent. The list of grievances is sorely long.
The current movement – led and inspired by women – has united Iranians across generations in what is shaping up to be the biggest threat the regime has faced to date. As for the international community, it is now a crucially important time to show support to the brave Iranian protesters. Simultaneously, they need to recognize and support Prince Reza Pahlavi as the only alternative who is able to secure the people’s confidence to establish calm and peace during the transition.
Support for Pahlavi isn’t limited to Iranians living abroad. Videos published on social media show Iranians in cities, such as Tehran and Izeh in southwestern Iran, shouting slogans like “Pahlavi, you are our representative” and “Pahlavi is our choice, the leader of our revolution.”
The brave Iranian women not stopping, nor will they any time soon. They are taking to the streets to cut their hair and burn their hijabs, indicating to the Islamic government that they will not stand for this totalitarian regime anymore. Mullahs must pack and leave. It is a do-or-die scenario. Nothing less than a subversion of this regime and recapture of Iran will stop these warriors.
