All Questions, No Answers

Hi Consumers.

It’s been a while. I was hoping to return to regularly writing this newsletter when I felt like I fully had the bandwidth and capacity to do so, and I might be back a little earlier than I expected, because as always, I’m consumed by something that I want to share with you all.

Sogand @5ogand

ديگه ايران را با زناش بشناسيد نه با فرش و زعفران و گربه 💚 #مهسا_امینی #MahsaAmini

The tweet above from Iranian singer Sogand says, “From now on, Iran will be known for its women, not for its carpets, saffron, or cats.” Today marks the eleventh night of consecutive protests in Iran, with women leading the charge.

Mark Clift @markclift

Iran is the most misunderstood society I have witnessed. The country is vast; larger than Germany, France and Spain combined, covering huge forests, mountains (some of the best skiing in the world), sea and desert. Iran has more world heritage sites than Turkey. (7/25)

I’m on my phone a lot lately, checking the news, checking social media, constantly seeking updates from people in Iran. It’s pretty remarkable that we carry these devices on us all day that ping us with life updates (good and bad), allow us to do our jobs, allow us to access information from any corner of the world.

S🧚‍♀️ @sxrsar

I am begging y’all to think critically about why Western media is suddenly so interested in protests in Iran and how it aligns with the West’s geopolitical interests. Where was this coverage when Iranians protested US sanctions that have crushed Iran’s economy into a recession?

When my dear friend and mentor Sheri asked me how I was doing, I sent her a version of this ramble…

We are not meant to process this level of trauma as a collective society, with our damn smart phones and technology. Then, focus in on us as Iranians as a group. We are not meant to collectively take a beating for the past hundred years.

We aren’t alone in this. Black Americans were brought to this country against their will, enslaved, and face systemic racism to this day. This is generational trauma, which just compounds over time. So many people from marginalized and persecuted groups are living through some version of generational trauma. Resolving it can feel like opening Pandora’s box, sometimes it feels easier to push it down… and there’s no neat, easy or clear solution.

If we were all tuned in to what one another was going through, and carried ourselves with more grace and kindness, what a world we would live in.

I don’t have any answers, I mainly have questions. I don’t have advice to dole out other than 1) treat people with kindness and empathy, and 2) please listen to Iranians inside Iran or people with direct sources on the ground as they share updates, important historical context, and share their lived experiences. People in the diaspora, and people outside Iran, can do better by de-centering themselves, centering the demands of the people in Iran and amplifying their voices.

S🧚‍♀️ @sxrsar

Two things can be true at once. You can admire Iranians protesting against their government while also being weary of the way the West is capitalizing on this moment and how this may be used to further imperialist agendas / justify aggressions like sanctions and interventions.

Be omide azadi - with hopes of freedom,

Roya