From the Editor’s Desk – Shahrokh Ahkami – PH 76, Winter 2015
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and their families a happy and healthy new year, one filled with hope and peace. This past year, for Iranians living inside and outside of our birthplace, has been filled with joy and despair, because of the good and bad news we received. When I heard the name of the nominee for the Noble prize in mathematics, Maryam Mirzakhani, not only the first Iranian woman, but the first woman in history to have received this honor, I was exhilarated. Immediately, the editorial board changed the cover of the fall issue, and featured her. This great news kept coming when President Obama nominated Azita Raji, former business strategist and Wall Street executive as Ambassador to Sweden, making Ms. Raji the first woman Ambassador to Sweden and then the naming of Pardis C. Sabati, a Harvard University Assistant Professor, computational biologist and medical geneticist, to head the group to analyze the genetics of Ebola sampling.
We need to realize that these accomplishments, by younger hyphenated Iranians and others in the fields of science, arts, medicine, politics and business, have come only 30-40 years after they or their family’s migration out of Iran.
During a discussion at a family and friend gathering, I was interrupted by one of my friends daughters, “ Dr. Ahkami please stop boasting about Iranians! Please think about the oppression that Iranian women are experiencing in Iran! “
For certain, I was caught off guard by her statement. My chest, once filled with pride by these Iranian achievements, deflated. I tried to calmly ask her what she meant by her comments. Without even thinking about my question, she continued her speech in a now elevated voice, “Aren’t you embarrassed to see and read about the atrocities committed against young and old women in Iran?”
Again, I was taken back by her question. I did not expect that a member of this second generation, who grew up in the United States, whose social community is diverse and who I know only visited Iran as a young girl, would have any interest in the daily lives, events and news of Iran and its citizens. I thought it was only my generation who continued with such a strong attachment.
I wanted to interrupt her, but once again she did not permit me to speak. “How is it that in the twenty first century in Iran where 60% of the student population in universities are women, in a century where young girls and women, despite daily discrimination still achieve success and in professions where the women are superior or equal to their male colleagues, that Iranian women’s rights, in Iran, are ranked the lowest among 180 countries around the world ?”
Once again I tried to interject a few words but, I was again abruptly interrupted. “Drrrrrrr. Ahkami !!!!! this time it’s my turn to speak. This time I want you to listen to me and I want you to answer my questions!” And this time, everyone in the room agreed with her leaving me no choice but to listen.
“What what kind of country is Iran? Young brave women have no safe haven in the streets, work place, shops, parks or other places of entertainment! What kind of country allows demonic people to throw acid in the faces of women to destroy their beauty, leaving physical and emotional damage so severe that it is irreparable ? This is surprising in a country where its armed forces are so powerful and automatically appear to halt anti government speech. Why are they not equally powerful and visible to stop these crimes against women and seek out and punish these criminals? I cannot believe they actually admitted that their investigation of over 300 acid crimes resulted in no arrests.”
With teary eyes she continued, “Did you know that three women were attacked because their faces were visible to the common man? Did you know that three others in Isfahan were attacked with acid because their faces were not covered? Where in the world does any human being deserve such oppression and suffering? If these three women, so brutally attacked in Iran, were in the United States, they could have reached the same level of achievement of the women we discussed?”
I was in shock and despair. I wanted to melt into the floor. As the words left her mouth her tears flowed. Her visible sadness and despair affected the others in the room. I tried to change the mood by stating, “I am very proud to see the younger generation, of Iranian Americans, so attached to their roots and have such an awareness of the suffering of women in their parent’s birthplace.”
Seeing that they were allowing me to speak, I continued, “ I and we must have great respect for Iranian women inside and outside of Iran. It is an undeniable fact that after 38 years, their struggle against oppression and fight for equality continues. It is appalling that this oppression has not yet ended for them and that they must continue to seek their right for equality as human beings.”
She wiped her tears, smiled and apologized to me for cutting me off. Her father looked at me with surprise. I replied to her “Your words empower me and give me strength. I am grateful that the concerns of my generation, continues in the hearts and minds of our children. Despite the technology available to us, the internet, face book, etc., we, Diaspora, still try to dig through every news source, to find the smallest events that take place in Iran. With your comments today, I am moved by the possibility that as parents, we have been successful in securing Iran’s culture and ethnicity in future generations outside of Iran. And, just maybe these future generations will continue to passionately advocate for suppressed people living in the birthplace of their parents. I am happy to know that all of our cultural celebrations throughout the years paid off. You actually learned and understand our concerns.”
“Yes we did, Dr. Ahkami! During the hostage crisis and with each anniversary that passes, we are filled with sadness for our parents. You might not have known that as children we were also affected. We always felt the need to defend our ethnic origin and still continue to do so. We were often bullied about the hostage crisis in school.”
Bullied, I thought! I was never aware of any bullying against my girls, I was horrified that this happened to them. This young lady then got up and hugged her dad and me, who were still shocked by her words.
Who would have thought that a discussion, on the achievements of three young Iranian- American women, would have ended in another discussion, a discussion of events that happened more then 37 years ago and the negative impact they had on our children. I thought that only my generation experienced unjustified mistreatment! Of course there is no comparison of our struggles after 1979, with the suffering experienced by those in Iran. But, knowing that our children suffered in our new homes, should make us all a bit more sensitive on how we speak and what we say about other ethnic groups in the same situation.
A new year is coming and I will continue to discuss and post the good things that happen to Iranians in and outside of Iran. I will also, with equal importance, discuss the negative events happening in Iran. As we celebrate Christmas, Yalda Night, the birth of Mithra and New Year let’s take a minute to truly understand the freedoms and equalities we enjoy as men and women. And at the same time let’s remember those women, who fight every day in Iran and elsewhere in the world, for the same equalities and freedom.
Happy New Year