My Country, The Phoenix

Protest Sign With Slogan: Women Life Freedom #FreeIran

Image Source: Inimafoto A: https://www.pexels.com/photo/plate-with-a-slogan-woman-life-freedom-14413071/

You can never really leave your home country. No matter how many kilometres away you are or the reason for your departure, a part of your soul will continue to exist in the streets and alleys of your city. A part of your heart will beat on for the early morning smell of freshly baked bread made by the neighbourhood baker; for the exhilarating feeling of running to the corner store to buy ice cream; for playing tag and hide and seek with your childhood friends; for the neighbours you knew so well.

This is the same part of your heart that contracts in rage at the thought of the monsters who terrorize the people of your homeland, the same part that swells with pride and admiration when you first hear that the people are fighting back with a never-before-seen ardour. Yet, this is the same part that shatters into tiny shards when the string of tragic deaths and murders unravels, slowly at first and then alarmingly fast. Martyrdom has never seen heroes so young. All you can do is eulogize the beautiful children of the land whose lives were so unjustly wrenched from them. While they leave indelible imprints on that part of your heart, conscience and history, they do not so much as sway the perpetrators, who continue to murder, maim, rape, ravage and poison. They claim their actions are sanctified, yet it is unclear what God they serve. They are not animals or beasts; they are fiends.

This time, however, the convulsions are irrepressible. The people have had enough. The world has no choice but to listen to their long-silenced unified voices, to their demand for a better life.

The people will succeed. The iniquitous authorities will be severed, like an appendage of the once grand country that has long since started to mutate and harm the system. They will have no choice but to tumble down like dominos, one level of tyranny bringing down the next. They will become so vestigial that all that will remain of them is a bitter memory serving as a testament to the bravery of the people. The land will become prolific, and the liberated people will finally experience serenity. Those who have been away for years will disembark and kneel to kiss the soil.

It is the same part of your heart that believes so strongly; your country, the phoenix, will rise from the ashes.

Person holds protest sign that reads: We will take Iran back

Image Source: Sima Ghaffarzadeh: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-holding-a-placard-with-we-will-take-iran-back-message-in-vancouver-canada-14403196/

Author’s Note:

Murder, oppression, inequality and continuous breaches of human rights are front-page news when they first come to light. Quickly, they take over the media and occupy the minds of people, who feel compassion, and then they don’t. What was significant can be forgotten in a heartbeat — it has been the same throughout history. The Syrian civil war is ongoing, yet we do not see any more news regarding the death and destruction; the innocent humans whose lives were and are wrenched from them are the news of the past. The same goes for the Ukrainian War. And unfortunately, the same is happening for the Iran revolution.

As an Iranian who truly loves her homeland and is just as equally enraged by the powers who have made the lives of her people so challenging, I want this piece to remind you of the struggle for freedom in Iran. Particularly, as the ignited revolution is given the significant title of Women, Life, Liberty, perfectly on par with this month’s topic: Feminism. Women’s rights have been neglected and breached since the Revolution of 1979. The regime forces dress codes on women to diminish their freedom of expression and bodily autonomy. Furthermore, they do not have fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, and the notion of equality between genders regarding marriage, job opportunities and life as a whole, is nearly non-existent. They cannot even obtain travel documents or a passport without the permission of their father or husband. Throughout the protests, women of all ages, especially young, have stood up to the injustices and demanded their rights, and all other brave people of Iran have come to their side. Many have been maimed, killed and blinded by bullets, and most presently, girls are being poisoned while at school, an environment meant to be safe and nurturing.

Iranians need our help to keep the fire of the current revolution alive; they need media attention to ensure their message reaches leaders and important names who have the power to provide substantial support if they stay interested long enough. They need to have their voice heard and need people like you and me to stand by their side and remind them that they are not alone.

I urge you to continue to stay informed and aware and educate others to keep important news on the front page.