How does Iranian society cope with repression of protesters? What is the current state of the government and what are its prospects for the future? Who is Reza Pahlavi, and what function can he play in the close future? How do the Iranians view the United States' intervention in their affairs? Leszek Jażdżewski talks to Touska Gholami Khaljiri, an Iranian activist for the rights of women and children, and a investigator surviving in Łódź, whose work combines issues of sex justice and bottom-up activism. In Iran, she collaborated with a number of non-governmental organisations, serving, among others, as the head of the legal squad and workshops moderator, implementing prevention programs on kid sexual abuse. Since moving to Poland, he has continued to actively engage in activities for Iran, organizing demonstrations in Łódź during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and working to rise global awareness on this issue. In 2023, she was selected by the magazine “Wprost” to represent Iranian women at the SheO Award in the category “Fight for equality and women’s rights”. He is besides active in digital documentation initiatives, including working with Iran Protests Timeline, a bilingual (English-Polish) project, which provides a chronological evidence of events related to the uprising in Iran in 2026.
Leszek Jażdżewski (LJ): What is the current situation in Iran and what do we know about the current state of protest?
Touska Gholami Khaljiri (TGK): As you know, we had a fewer days of violent riots. It is estimated that these were the largest riots in the forty-seven years of muslim government regulation in Iran. After the massacre, which took place in peculiar on 8 and 9 January, and the mass arrests that followed, we could observe something that I would describe as "fire under ash." This was not a military situation by the regime, but there were arrests all day on the streets. People were receiving calls, checking their social media profiles to see who they were watching and who they were sending messages to.
For about 10 days or 2 weeks, there was a curfew in various cities of Iran, especially the smaller cities. In smaller cities, social networks are stronger due to the fact that people know each another well, so control must besides be greater. During curfew, people were asked to close shops and businesses. After 6:00 p.m., groups of more than 2 were questioned and asked to return home. There were cars in the cities with people armed with device guns. There were search groups in any districts. That was the situation just before last week.
Last week, forty days have passed since the mass execution in Iran. There is simply a customized in Iran to organize another ceremony on the 40th day after the death of a loved one. It's called Chehlum (‘the Forty’). Then household members visit people who have lost individual close to them, and bring them colorful clothes so that they can take off their black robes and return to life. Traditionally, this ceremony is spiritual – it reads fragments from the Quran and recites prayers. Families mourn the dead in silence and after 40 days they effort to return to average life.
But I watched videos of those 40-day funerals. They became an act of collective rebellion from a spiritual ritual. People who have lost their loved ones as a consequence of being shot in the head or heart, or who died in prison as a consequence of torture, stand still. They give strong, moving speeches. alternatively of reciting the Quran, music is played. Families openly declare that their loved ones were protesters who fought for freedom and democracy. They were killed due to the fact that they wanted Iran to be free. They besides play the national anthem we had before the revolution. In their language there is no fear anymore; they chant the slogans for which their loved ones died. They do so even though they know that the muslim Revolutionary defender (IRGC) and Basij forces have attacked many forty-day funerals in fresh days. They opened fire on families in mourning during these celebrations.
Until last week, I consistently said it was a “fire under the ash”, but the fire was one more time aroused. A tiny city in Iran had a ceremony of 2 people killed during protests, involving 3,000 people. We thought we should wait until something happened to get people back on the streets. It's amazing to watch these people show their courage again. Knowing that you can be shot in the street and yet return to these streets is, in my opinion, courage at a very different level.
They tell the planet that nothing has ended and they will proceed to fight until the government falls. They chant “Death to Chamenei”, “This is the last fight” and “Woman, Life, Freedom”. These are the slogans that killed their loved ones, and they keep repeating them due to the fact that they believe they must overthrow this government before more people die.
LJ: How are these protests different from the Green Movement and another erstwhile revolutions, and are there wider public support for them outside students and educated women?
TGK: It was a "action and reaction" between government and the population. All these years, the Iranians have tried gradual reforms. Over the years, people have voted for alleged "reformers candidates", hoping for even a tiny beginning of the system. They didn't request another revolution, they wanted to be able to catch their breath.
But how did the government respond to these demands? The strategy absorbed these reformers and retained the intact core of power. In order to prevent further demands from the public, it was considered that even more severe repression should be introduced. alternatively of peacefully responding to student protests or, as you mentioned, during the Green Movement in 2009, erstwhile millions of people marched silently after controversial elections, they decided to repress even more. The answer was arrests, disappearances and murders in broad daylight on the streets and torture in prisons. In Iran, hundreds of people have always been threatened with execution, and now they are not hundreds, but thousands who are threatened with death.
In my opinion, it is crucial to see that the people of Iran have tried to negociate for forty-seven years with a government that does not talk the language of peace and does not realize what people say. The only language that understands this government is the language of arms, torture, arrests and repression. It is not a government that negotiates power. He sees these people as rebels against Islam and the theological strategy he created. His consequence is to kill as many people as possible to keep this strategy and to rule.
The reason why present there is not only a certain group of people on the streets – we see doctors, engineers, firefighters, younger people and older people – is that the government is no longer attacking 1 peculiar group. It doesn't just attack activists, students or unions anymore. He attacks everyone who opposes their power. That's why they're all out on the streets.
In all individual killed in fresh weeks, I see myself, my brother and my household due to the fact that they are us. People think that since 1 individual was killed, I'm next. If I don't go out on the streets and rise my voice against this spiritual power, the next time it's me or my baby. That's why all the people went out on the streets.
LJ: Is there any sign that these peaceful protests are turning into a violent uprising? Is there any evidence of interior divisions or rebellion of troops and police against the regime?
TGK: Of course, there were acts of disobedience in the ranks of the police and the army. We even saw a popular video from the town of Abdanan – which was very crowded compared to the number of inhabitants – depicting a policeman standing on the roof, who showed visitors a sign of victory. However, it can be said that the muslim government was rather well prepared for this. He has held power for almost half a century and succeeded in transferring military power from the army and police to pseudomilitary groups specified as Basij and IRGC.
Personally, I don't think these pseudo-military groups have laid down weapons due to the fact that they've been trained since childhood. Many of these people join Basij groups while they are inactive teenagers; we inactive see teenagers holding arms and shooting people. Indoctrination levels in IRGC and Basij are very strong. I do not think they will quit due to the fact that their ideology is profoundly rooted in their head system; they believe they are fighting against God's enemies and shooting at those who argue the "truth" of their religion. They believe they have the right to do so.
Although specified a change may happen in the police or army, the problem is that the armed forces in Iran are dominated by the IRGC and Basij. They are more spiritual and muslim sects than military groups to defend the country or its people. Their ideology does not let them to put down their weapons or separate from these groups.
LJ: Does the muslim Republic inactive have legitimacy despite mass killings and economical failure? Is it possible to reconstruct the erstwhile government under Reza Pahlavi?
TGK: They have definitely lost legitimacy of their power. Outside Iran, we are inactive trying to convince governments and politicians that this government does not represent an Iranian nation. They surely lost their legitimacy in Iran, even among spiritual people. There is simply a group of people who had previously been religious, but now turned distant from these beliefs due to the current regime; it has changed to a 100 percent.
Moreover, even conventional spiritual people – praying and fasting – no longer support this regime. I say this due to the fact that I've been watching ceremony videos in fresh days, and I see families from different backgrounds and mothers mourning their children. They are linked by chanting "Death of Chamenei". It is not just a call to the death of 1 person; it means that they want the government to fall. A fewer years ago, the opposition consisted mainly of secular liberal activists and educated people, and the government continued to enjoy the support of spiritual citizens. Now he besides lost his legitimacy among this group.
Surprisingly, people from different social and economical levels agree that they request a typical who will talk on their behalf outside Iran – individual who will convince the free planet that there is simply a plan for the collapse of the regime. Reza Pahlavi, even though he is the boy of the deceased chessman of Iran, is not portrayed as a future monarch. It shall be presented as an intermediary during a transitional period. He repeatedly reiterated that Iran's final political strategy – whether a republic or a monarchy – should be elected by the nation in a free referendum.
People support this position. Of course, among them are monarchs, constitutional monarchs and secular Republicans – specified as myself and another members of the diaspora – as well as people in Iran who have no connection to any peculiar party. They are united, exchanging his name so that we can overthrow this government together. due to the fact that this is our main objective: to unite to overthrow the current government before killing more people.
LJ: How do you think the Iranians would respond if Donald Trump carried out his threat of an armed attack to enforce concessions on the atomic program?
TGK: Iranians are against war, it's obvious. They are now demanding intervention, not invasion or occupation. They don't want another Iraq. They request targeted intervention as they face systematic, life-threatening repression. It's about work for human life. People specifically call on the United States and Donald Trump to intervene.
They ask the planet to halt a government whose influence goes beyond Iran's borders due to the fact that it supports and finances armed groups specified as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi movement. He even supports Russia in conducting war in Ukraine. The Iranians are asking you to halt this murderous regime. By asking for this intervention, they are aware of the consequences and consequences of this intervention, but they request targeted military intervention aimed at infrastructure utilized for repression. They want to weaken the government so people can proceed the fight. They are asking for intervention due to the fact that they want to put an end to systematic state force and are incapable to do so without external assistance.
This is not without precedent – NATO's intervention during the war in Kosovo has already taken place. Even Germany was incapable to rebuild its state after planet War II without Allied intervention. Therefore, what people ask is not unusual. They realize that each country is acting in its own interest and that this always involves complex relations. Despite the awareness of all this, they ask for intervention due to the fact that at the minute they have done everything they can. Now it is time for the free planet and the West to take appropriate action.
Learn more about Iran Protests Timeline task here: iranproteststimeline.com/
This podcast was produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movieno Liberal Social and the Liberté Foundation!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are liable for the content nor for any usage of this podcast.
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Dr. Olga Łabendowicz translated from English
Read English at 4liberty.eu
