THIS IS NOT A WAR AGAINST IRANIANS — IT IS A FIGHT TO FREE THEM

For many Iranians living abroad, the events unfolding in their homeland are not distant political news but a deeply personal reality. Fatemeh, a 29-year-old PhD student in chemistry and research assistant living in Canada, follows the situation with a mixture of hope and fear. While she believes the current uprising could change the future of her country, her family still lives in Tehran, and every day brings uncertainty about their safety. In this interview, she speaks about life in the Iranian diaspora, the causes of the protests, the violence inside the country, and why many Iranians believe this moment could become a turning point for Iran.

When you watch the news about the war in Iran, how do you feel?

Right now, I feel very hopeful that the future is bright — that the future of Iran is bright. At the same time, it’s obviously very stressful because my family is still in Tehran, so I’m concerned about their safety, as well as the safety of my friends, my family members, and people I know. But when I think about how this war could change the future in a positive way, it also gives me some peace of mind and makes me feel that this is for a good cause.

When was the last time you spoke with your family?

On the 26th of February.

What is the hardest part of living outside your country?

I think the hardest part is that the government shuts down the internet every time. So there is this lack of communication and the internet blackout, which does not make any sense in the 21st century — why are they turning off the internet? Not knowing how everyone is, and having to wait to find out whether your family is safe or not, becomes a kind of waiting game. I would say that is the hardest part.

Many people say the Iranian diaspora is divided. What has your experience been?

I actually think we have never been more united in the past 47 years. Personally, I was never really part of any kind of community before. I usually tried to stay in the background and was not involved. But this time I felt that I had to go and participate. It felt like we are all together in this, working toward a good cause and doing it collectively.

What message would you share with non-Iranians who may not understand what is happening in your country?

I think the first thing to understand is that this is not a war against Iranians. This is more like a hostage situation — the people in Iran are being held hostage by the government. This war is trying to help free us from this situation and from this regime. So it is not really a war against the people; it is mainly an attempt to weaken the regime so that the people of Iran can rise up and reclaim their rights.

The other thing I would say is that Iran is a very beautiful country with a rich culture. If this government were not in place, everyone would be invited to come and enjoy this beautiful country. If you have not been able to visit because of this regime, I would say: please come and get to know us and our country.

What do you think people in the diaspora should be doing right now?

The most important thing people outside the country can do is raise awareness. One key point is to make clear who the leader of this movement and revolution is. I have been following the media closely, and it often seems that many outlets avoid mentioning Prince Pahlavi (Reza Pahlavi Crown Prince of Iran). For different reasons, he is rarely visible in much of the Western media.

That is why it is important for the diaspora to help clarify who represents the movement, who people can turn to for information, and who can be trusted. In previous movements we did not have a clear leader, and that created confusion and weakened the movement.

Another responsibility is to be the voice of the people inside Iran, because their voices are being silenced by the government.

Finally, it is also important to explain to Western societies that this should not simply be seen as a war against the Iranian people. Many Iranians believe that after years of oppression, these developments could help them finally become free.

The media offers many explanations for the revolution in Iran. From your perspective, what is the real cause?

I think at first people might assume it is mainly about the economy. And yes, there is an economic aspect, especially when the currency becomes so weak that overnight everything becomes many times more expensive than the day before. But the real question is: what are the roots of that economic problem?

In my opinion, it goes back to the corruption of the government. This government takes huge amounts of money but does not care about its own people or about their basic rights. Instead, it spends large amounts on its missile program, its nuclear program, and on supporting its proxies in the region, mainly against Israel.

So while the protests may look like they are about economic problems, the roots are much deeper. Opposition to this regime has existed from the very beginning. Many people who opposed the regime were killed, both in the early years after 1979 and later in the 1980s.

There was also the eight-year war with Iraq, during which a few million people were killed. Later, in the 2000s, we saw another major movement — the Green Movement — when many people realized that the government was corrupt and that their votes did not really count.

If you look at the past decades, you can see that protests and unrest have happened repeatedly. At first it was every ten years, then every five years, and now it feels like it happens almost every year.

So in my view, this situation goes all the way back to the beginning. It is not just about one economic crisis today — it is a much deeper and longer-term issue.

How many people have lost their lives in the past weeks?

The numbers are all over the place. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people were killed in the first two days, on January 8th and 9th. Then, even though the authorities said they would not execute anyone, many people were executed in the days that followed.

Because the regime controls information, there are no reliable official reports, and there is no real independent journalism in the country. So there is no exact number. But estimates range widely — from more than 30,000 to as high as 50,000 or even 60,000 people.

What happened in the hospitals during those days? Do you have any information about it?

From the videos I saw during those days, it appeared that security forces and special forces raided hospitals. According to those reports, they entered hospitals and even shot injured people who were there for treatment.

Some families later found the bodies of their loved ones in body bags at the morgue, and the bodies were still attached to medical equipment. This showed that those people had been treated in hospitals. Later, security forces raided the hospitals and, as people say, killed some of the injured there. They also said that in order to receive the bodies back, families were asked to pay money.

How much are families being asked to pay?

It seems like they're demanding different numbers, but if I were to think, converting it to It seems that they are demanding different amounts. But if I convert it roughly into U.S. dollars, the so-called “bullet fee” usually starts from around $1,000 and can go higher. That is the amount they are reportedly charging families. (Talking about this is very difficult for me — my chest feels very tight right now.)

What is happening inside Evin Prison in Tehran, where many academics, journalists, and opposition figures are reportedly being held? Are they being tortured there?

Yes, obviously. That is what they have always been accused of doing — torture and forced interviews where prisoners are made to say they were Mossad agents, CIA agents, or things like that. The government does everything.

I have also heard that even some people who are released from prison later die. These are unofficial reports, so I do not have direct evidence. But some say that prisoners are injected with pills or medicines, and after they are released they die in a few days, which is then reported as natural causes.

In prisons, I have also heard reports of rape. They rape both men and women — it does not matter to them. Sometimes families receive the bodies of people who died in prison, and there are reports that women’s bodies showed signs of severe sexual violence.

This is very hard to say, but in some cases people claim that the genitals were removed so that there would be no evidence of rape.

How do people become capable of doing such terrible things?

If you are brainwashed from childhood and told that if you do these god-awful things you will go to heaven, it affects the way you think. There is constant brainwashing happening in mosques in these religious countries. At the same time, they may also offer money or other incentives.

They promise rewards — like the idea that many virgin girls are waiting for them in heaven, however many the number is, many, many. So it becomes not about how good you are as a person, but about how many enemies you kill.

This is what I find frightening about it. Even when we hear about what is happening in places like Palestine, where many women and children are suffering, I believe that some people are also being influenced or pushed toward sacrifice because of this kind of indoctrination. There are jihadi fighters who believe that if they die — for example by carrying bombs or acting as human shields during attacks — they will receive those promised rewards.

How do people in Iran today view what happened in 1979 when the Shah left the country?

I am not a historical expert, but from what I know, when the Shah left the country and Khomeini returned to Iran, his supporters quickly took control of the state institutions. Many things during that time were not very transparent.

There was a referendum to establish the Islamic Republic, and the official result claimed that about 98% of people voted in favor. However, some people who worked in state offices at the time later said the numbers might not have been accurate, and that the results could have been manipulated, although it is difficult to prove today.

Even if many people initially supported the change, what followed was very harsh. The new authorities began suppressing political opposition, and many people who spoke against the system were arrested or killed.

Because of this, many people today trace the roots of the current situation back to those early years after 1979, when opposition voices were quickly silenced.

What makes this revolution different from the previous ones?

I think the main difference compared to the previous ones is that those movements unfortunately did not have a true leader. This one has one, and I think that makes a big difference.

I also feel that the regime has crossed a line, especially after the massacre on January 8th and 9th. They passed the limit of how much people can tolerate. What they did, and how many people they killed, went beyond the threshold of what people are willing to accept.

At this point, it feels like it has become all or nothing. People feel that they cannot tolerate this regime anymore. They are simply exhausted by it. So the feeling now is that people will continue to fight for change until the very end.

Who do Iranians see as the leader who could guide the country’s future?

Honestly, I think the only leader who has ever been able to unite all these people together — both the diaspora and the people inside Iran — is King Reza Pahlavi. Even during the previous national unity protests, the level of participation was already very high, in the order of tens or hundreds of thousands of people. But this time, the number of people who feel united is in the millions, both inside Iran and outside the country. So I think it is quite obvious who the leader is. From both an outside and an inside perspective, I see the same thing.

When you think about Iran today, what do you think the country will look like in 10 years?

Oh, that’s a really emotional question — I just got goosebumps. But I mean, it looks very optimistic. I think Iran’s stability in 10 years will bring stability to the whole region, first of all. So the Middle East will become more stable.

Obviously, most of the diaspora want to go back, and some of them are living in exile right now. Those people will be able to return to their country. And I’m sure that because Iran is such a rich country — rich not only in wealth but also in culture and many other aspects — the economy will be good.

I also believe that, step by step, people’s rights — human rights and the basic rights of everyone — will return to where they should be. Right now, nobody really has the right to live freely in Iran. If you are with the regime, you are fine, but anyone who opposes the regime does not have the right to live there. So I think basic rights and human rights will come back into effect, and people will truly feel them again.

What will be the first thing you do when you return to Iran?

That’s a good question. I really want to do so many things. I think the first thing I would do is organize a wedding party. We never had a wedding celebration, so I would organize one for everyone so that we can finally take some pictures. Because during COVID we never had a wedding party, so yes, that would probably be the first thing.

If you could send one message to your relatives and people in Iran, what would you say?

First of all, I would say that I love you all and I miss you very much. I hope that soon we will all be able to return to our country and celebrate together. I truly believe the future is bright.

I hope the future will be the one you wish for, and that your hopes and dreams will finally come true. Thank you for your time.