{"id":106000,"date":"2022-09-29T07:38:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T12:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/?p=106000"},"modified":"2022-09-29T07:44:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T12:44:00","slug":"beating-and-incarceration-will-not-silence-the-brave-iranian-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/2022\/09\/29\/beating-and-incarceration-will-not-silence-the-brave-iranian-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Beating and Incarceration Will Not Silence the Brave Iranian Women"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Shahrokh Ahkami<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0640\u0640\u0640 Persian Heritage #106, Fall 2022 \u0640\u0640\u0640<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I was reflecting on what subject to write about for this editorial. Suddenly I came across a WhatsApp post, written by a credible source and friend of mine. The details in the post made me change my mind on the subject and focus on the issues addressed in the post, to share with our readers. <\/span><\/p>\n

The story is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

A feast was served and the Sultan stated: In this meal there is a lot of food for thought. He picked up a piece of bread and picked on a piece of the brain and devoured it with glory. Then he stated \u201cIf you want to have a stable and continuous reign on the people, drain the brain power.\u201d Then he went for the tongue and devoured that and stated, \u201cIf you want to hold power over the people cut out their voices so they cannot be heard.\u201d Then he went for the eyes and the ears and devoured them and then again, he stated, \u201cIf you want power and control of the people you need to limit what they see, what they hear and what they listen to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His deputy minister responded, \u201cYour honor your words are very wise but what should we eat? The Sultan then went for his greasy mustache and responded, \u201cEat the thigh and try to promote eating the thigh in public in order to have a stable government.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I think that this story resembles the status quo in Iran. The oppression and the treatment of the people of this country and how they have been treated by the regime. The regime uses its propaganda machine on the uneducated. The fanatical mullahs use the rhetoric, ridiculous storytelling and marketing as a propaganda machine; one filled with lies and deceit all in the name of religion. They use this on a population who is vulnerable and needs reassurance and the leadership uses the treasury money to fill the mullah\u2019s needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

These days the mullahs are using very dangerous rhetoric and actions. For instance, the Hijab of women. For years brave Iranian women have been fighting for the right to choose and have equality. Even though they are threatened by the government, they stand against this oppression. For this they are jailed and tortured. Recently their actions of brutality and ruthlessness was witnessed when they captured a young Kurdish Iranian, Mahsa Amini. She was 22 years old traveling with her parents to Tehran. Because of the way she wore her head cover and her makeup, officers of The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, allegedly beat her and brutally dragged her. One officer hit her head and upper body until she fell unconscious. She was finally taken to the hospital where she died. Her death is a tragedy to her parents, family, and friends and to the entire country: all are in a mourning state. Demonstrations and demands to remove these barbaric and middle age rules are being held to return freedom and equality to all. Freedom to practice freely your religion, freedom to speak and voice your political views and freedom to wear or not wear the hijab.<\/span><\/p>\n

The regime thinks that by incarcerating and beating these brave women that they will be silenced and decide to remain at home! How many more young men and women, boys and girls will follow the tragic death of Mahsa Amini? How many more will be tortured or jailed? THE REGIMES TACTICS ARE NOT WORKING!!! More demonstrations must be made to punish these criminals and to stop the poisonous views of the mullahs regarding the hijab and temporary marriage, which in reality is a form of legal prostitution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently there was news about the son of the Deputy Vice President, who promotes filtering and internet censorship, lives and owns a company that manufactures technology that supports systems that help with filtering and censorship. He sells them to Iran. Simply put, his mother, the Deputy Vice President allows the Iranian government to censor and filter Iran\u2019s internet with equipment her son sells antifiltering equipment to Iran.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are the presumptions that the son of Ms. Khazali and grandson of an Ayotollah guilty of embezzling money from the government and using these public funds for their own interests TRUE? You decide but they are not alone. Many children of the elite government officials are getting their education from colleges and universities in Europe and North America. They are enjoying a high class life style. Once in a while we get images of this through various media.<\/span><\/p>\n

The children of the Larijanis, Ms. Ebtekar (one of the hostage takers), Mr. Hadad Adel (the father-in-law of Mr. Khamenei\u2019s son are all enjoying a lush life style outside of Iran be it Europe, Canada or the US. ARE THEY EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE HARDSHIPS THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS ARE DEALING WITH ON A DAILY BASIS? A recent video was released where the son of Larijani was enjoying a tequila drink with his girlfriend and some friends on his yacht. This is just one example of those individuals using public funds to enjoy these kinds of lifestyles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another point to the Sultan\u2019s story is his reference to eating of the eyes and ears of the lamb. He shut the eyes and ears of his people. The same is happening today by the present Iranian regime. The government is not building schools throughout the remote areas. Young Iranian girls are not encouraged to attend school, instead they are being encouraged to get married, have children and be a slave to the household. It is one thing if this is their choice but all too often rumors support that they are forced to be sold off for survival of the family due to poverty. Around 2 million women are illiterate in Iran. How can this be? How can this regime be more interested in building modern hospitals and schools for the Iraqi and Lebanese people and to fund the building of mosques (according to one mullah they built the latest dorms and libraries in Iraq) and allow their own youth to be deprived? Deprived because they have to walk almost 20 kilometers to get to the nearest schools! Deprived because they are being sold off for their family\u2019s survival. Perhaps the consumption of the brain in the Sultan\u2019s story is the answer. Once you drain the wisdom and a people\u2019s ability people to think and reason and you are left with people easy to control. They no longer have the ability to speak out against injustice; they become desensitized to injustices and no longer care what happens in their society. The Sultan responded to his deputy and recommends the people be given the thigh to fill their hunger, this can be compared to people becoming shameless and corrupt in order to survive.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a mystery to this day on how these mullahs, under the cover of their cloak and religious presence, have been able to get away with all this corruption and manipulation. How can they deny the fact that people like the Khavari (former head of the Central Bank) took 3 billion dollars (of public funds) out of the country? His son is one of the most successful businessmen in the world, and it was recently reported that a few persons embezzled 30 billion dollars from a steel plant. This is 10 times the previous amount! How does this go unnoticed and denied?<\/span><\/p>\n

If we were to count the amount of money stolen from the people of Iran, by this regime since the revolution, it probably falls over 100 billion dollars. No one asks how or why 700 billion dollars in oil revenue during Ahmadinejad\u2019s Presidency was spent? How much of it was deposited into private bank accounts inside and outside the country? How much of it remains in foreign banks and has been placed on hold as a result of the sanctions? It cannot be possible no one understands why everyday Iranian people are falling more deeply into poverty. Or is it that they just don\u2019t care as long as their lifestyle remains? If we do the calculation on the amount of money stolen from the government (the people of Iran) in comparison to Iran\u2019s annual budget deficit is 16.79 billion dollars, you will see that money that a few families stole could almost take care of 5 to 6 years of Iranian budget deficit and keep them from poverty. Unfortunately, the government seems not to care! There has been no effort made by the government to find those responsible and to return what they have taken and repair the damages they have caused. But the corrupt \u201ccartel\u201d has a tight hold and therefore is no relief for the poor Iranian people. To remain in control over their people they have shut down their people\u2019s voices. They have shut down the internet to avoid their people from learning about these injustices imposed on them, from the stolen money to being forced to wear a hijab. The innocent people walking the streets and riding the metro are forced to comply with their rules by the force of their wooden batons; to be killed like Mahsa Amini, dragged, smashed in the head by fists and kicked. Yet, they turn a blind eye to the people thrown on buses and trucks and their activiies, celebrating the holy days of Arbaiin. The scenes of these people trampling on each other are ones of horror.<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember when I was no more then 12 or 13 a friend returned from a trip to Tehran. He was telling me the story that the bus he took was so over crowded that people were pressed against each other. He described the scene with such vulgar words that I cannot repeat because they are not proper for our readers. But it is interesting to me to see how the government so conscious of the hijab of women on the streets says nothing about the bodies of men and women pressed against each other on these trucks and buses on their way to the pilgrimage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The oppression tactics being used in Iran are causing more devastating \u201cbrain drain\u201d from Iran. Doctors, nurses, professors and other highly educated people are leaving. Other countries will benefit from their knowledge and expertise. How upsetting it is to see the increased migration of Iranians leaving a country so beautiful. A country that has everything it needs to be great: wealth from its natural resources, history, beauty and of course people who, if allowed, can make the world a better place. Iran could be a place where its people can get the best education and live a life of freedom and not have to escape. Iranians are leaving with hopes that life will be easier for them outside, in a foreign place. Perhaps they are looking for refuge and freedoms just like the sons and daughters of the rich and corrupt heads of state, living it up outside the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

When will these corrupt and oppressive leaders realize they are running the country into the ground? Or, is that their plan? When will they pass on the government to people who have an interest in their citizens and make decisions that will benefit the population? Or don\u2019t they want to?<\/span><\/p>\n

I remain hopeful for the day that we witness Iran to once again become a symbol of freedoms; freedom of choice, clothing, religion, work, etc.! The day when people can choose to practice religion as they want and be able to enjoy the freedoms of free people.<\/span><\/p>\n

I remain hopeful!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shahrokh Ahkami \u0640\u0640\u0640 Persian Heritage #106, Fall 2022 \u0640\u0640\u0640 I was reflecting on what subject to write about for this editorial. Suddenly I came across a WhatsApp post, written by a credible source and friend of mine. The details in the post made me change my mind on the subject and focus on the issues […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83882,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["fa","en"],"languages":{"fa":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106000"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106002,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106000\/revisions\/106002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}