Iranian writer Parinoush Saniee denounces democratic countries’ tolerance of her country’s theocratic dictatorship
Between horror and hope, Iranian writer Parinoush Saniee (Tehran, age 73) reflects on what is happening in her country. Nearly 200 people have died in protests against the Ayatollahs’ regime, which have sprung up after the death in a police station of young Kurdish Mahsa Amini, 22, arrested for not wearing the Islamic veil correctly. As the international wave of solidarity grows with the Iranian women who are resisting repression with commendable courage, Saniee calls on the governments of the ‘tolerant’ democratic countries to step up their support for the people’s struggle against the fanatical Iranian regime.
“Violence against opponents will continue until the regime can no longer and falls,” predicts Saniee, who presents his novel ‘Those who leave and those who stay’ (Alliance) in Spain. And she is sure that the repression will not end. “It’s the only way the regime should stay in power,” the writer said in a meeting with Spanish journalists. Overall, he believes what is happening in his country now is “very hopeful”, although “we don’t know what the cost will be”. She assures that Iranian women “have lost their fear” and recalls that in her country “women take up arms when men can’t fight”.
“The regime has never responded to the needs of the people. All it has is violence and repression to prevent popular protests. It will continue to exercise them until their end. Until then, the violence will continue,” emphasizes Saniee, whose novels were banned in Iran.
Sociologist and psychologist worked for the Iranian government for decades. With a late literary vocation, he left his country five years ago. Installed in the United States, she has occasionally returned to Iran, something she could not do now. “My wish is to return to an Iran that is free from religious fanaticism and live there, but every time the prosecutor’s office returned, they filled me with questions,” said the author, who liaises with the internal resistance. .
Some Iranians “who do not receive support from the governments of other democratic countries.” “They are aware of the support of the citizens of many countries, in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people, and especially with their women, and we appreciate it very much. But governments are not doing what they should,” he denounces. “Before thinking about their interests, those governments that are highly tolerant of the Iranian regime should think and think more about the value of human rights,” he claims.
double symbol
“The veil is a symbol of oppression and discrimination against women,” Saniee says of the hijab. “They used to fight for freedom in the way they dress, but there were other issues and they felt that the issue of the veil was not a priority over more serious issues. But today it is a symbol of Iranian women’s struggle against the theocratic regime,” she said. A religious dictatorship ‘which has always wanted to erect more walls around women, thereby limiting their right to work or study’, he denounces.
“Women’s strength and their constant struggle have enabled them to work and study, even though other fundamental rights have been stolen from them,” she says. “Step by step, they have managed to keep some rights and will fight to keep going until they have them all,” emphasizes the writer. It calls for the cooperation of social groups, political parties, trade unions and civil associations “to fight for an Iran that needs the union of different ideologies to bring about definitive structural change”.
He believes the wave of protests against Islamist fanaticism can “spread and reach neighboring countries.” Especially in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have deprived women of basic rights such as education. “Afghanistan has many aspects in common with Iran. We share the same language, Farsi, one of the two official languages in that country,” he says.
‘Those who leave and those who stay’ tells the adventures of an Iranian family broken by the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and elevated Khomeini, and who manage to get together for ten days in a house on the Turkish coast. “I was shocked that it was banned in Iran because it tells what we have all seen,” says the author, who was unable to publish it in her country for 14 years. ‘The Book of My Fate’ was also censored, where it tells how a woman tries to get ahead in post-revolutionary Iran, while encountering social and family obstacles that stand in the way of her upbringing and her imprisoned love decisions. Translated into 26 languages, it became a worldwide bestseller.
Saniee confesses “concerned” about the escalation of nuclear powers, including her country. “I don’t understand how things have come to this in Iran, with leaders who don’t know how to make logical decisions for the people, but who deal with nuclear weapons. It’s very dangerous. Now that several countries have these weapons and are considering using them, I wonder: why have they insisted on having them?
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
