Hello Indivisibles, 

Leila Miller (Grassroots Press Manager) and Nina Moussavi (Organizing Manager) here taking over the megaphone to talk to the Indivisible community about what’s currently happening in Iran. 

First, we want to acknowledge the grief, admiration, hope, and fear we feel as we watch our hamvatans (fellow homelanders), particularly young women, fight for their basic rights in Iran. From America to Iran: Woman. Life. Freedom.

For those of you who might not have seen it on your Instagram, Twitter, or news feeds, over the last 25+ days, the Iranian people have taken to the streets across the country following the murder of 22-year old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Jina Amini by the hands of the Islamic Republic’s “morality police” for not “properly wearing her hijab.” As of October 13, at least 201 protesters -- including 23 children -- have been confirmed killed by the regime, and hundreds more have been injured and arrested. 

People from every corner of the country and every socioeconomic class, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnic group are coming together and chanting: “Woman, Life, Freedom,” “death to the dictators,” “death to the Islamic Republic.” The Iranian people are risking their lives every day to overthrow the Islamic regime and to gain agency and sovereignty after decades of oppression. 

This is not a moment.
This. Is. A. Revolution.

It is intersectional.
It is centered around the basic demands of Woman, Life, Freedom.
It is led by the youth of Iran, with young women and girls at the forefront.

Iranian school girls have shown an unrivaled level of bravery over the last 25+ days -- from yelling at the clerics at their school telling them to get lost to simply taking photos like this with their hair showing:

Caption reads: We rise above the swamp of years of oppression against Iranian women and men. We are the lotus flowers on the surface of the swamp.

The history of regime changes in Iran is complicated and, in the last 100+ years, heavily influenced by the United States government’s interest in oil and greed. Much of the turmoil in Iran, and across the middle east, is a direct result of capitalistic, imperialist forces like the US and the UK exploiting people-led movements for oil and resources (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?).

Over the last 40+ years, the Iranian people have lived under brutal sanctions that ultimately left the regime untouched while the people suffered. Iranians currently have limited access to the internet and cannot receive direct financial support as a result of 2019 sanctions. This makes it difficult for information to freely go in and out of the country without government censorship or interference. 

For all Indivisibles across the United States, we cannot be silent. The best way we can support the Iranian people right now is by uplifting their stories and their voices. Use your platform online to follow and amplify #MahsaAmini and #IranRevolution2022, help raise awareness and keep calling for action until freedom is achieved. 

For more comprehensive action items and information, click here to access a document compiled by Iranians for knowledge and assistance. It includes templates to write your elected officials and educational institutions, background on the history, details on the current moment, accounts and voices to uplift, and other actions you can take to get involved. 

To the people of Iran: We love you. From 22 year old Mahsa Amini to 17 year old Nika Shahkarami, to the 82 people in the marginalized state in Baluchistan, to the Kurdish people who have led and fought for freedom for decades: We say your names. We honor your legacies. We will fight in solidarity from America to help you in your conquest for self-determination. And we will hold our media and lawmakers accountable from exploiting your revolution, your courage, and your livelihood with bad policies and harmful narratives.

And to our fellow Iranian Diaspora: We see you. You’re not alone. We know how isolated this can feel. The last 25+ days have felt like living two lives: One in the US, where everything goes on and the days function as normal, and another where we are watching our people die for the chance at a life free from oppression.

Nina and I are lucky to be living in the United States and not be subjected to the oppression that our relatives in Iran are being subjected to by the Islamic Regime. For those Iranians who have not had the same luck, they are facing a reality where they don’t have an alternative but to fight. Iranian women have been fighters for centuries and will continue to be fighters for centuries to come. We must show them the world is listening, and we are behind them. 

We thank you for taking the time to hear from us. We acknowledge the strength and bravery of the Iranian people. We ask that you do what you can to join them in this fight. 

In solidarity,

Leila Miller and Nina Moussavi
Indivisible