Iran has been gripped by wide-spread protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. As the first death sentence to a person arrested for participating has been issued, the Iran-born Swedish-raised brand director of Axel Arigato Sanaz Parham, shares her fears, rage, hope and pride over Iranian women's brave protests. Plus, how you can support them
I struggled a lot with identity growing up. Being an Iranian immigrant in a homogenous country like Sweden, I’ve never found myself represented.
In school, amongst friend groups and in wider media, Iran was always represented as so vile. Nobody ever talked about the beauty of the country and the people, or the rich history and culture. As a result of being tired of having to fight back several misconceptions and struggling to communicate in blend of my mother tongues, I felt I had to change everything about myself and strived to be as Swedish as one possibly could.
I was born in 1994 in Iran. While I grew up living in Sweden, my household was very much Persian. I didn’t speak Swedish at home, I had Ghorme Sabzi for dinner, celebrated Nowruz (Persian New Year) and as a child I spent my summers in Iran. I have very fond memories of my time there. My relatives radiated warmth and generosity. They loved to dance, sing, tell jokes and throw mehmoonis (Farsi for parties). Sadly, there was an abrupt stop after the age of seven and that was the last time I ever went back to Iran, and the last time I ever saw my grandmother before she passed.
Around the same age, girls in Iran are told to dress modestly and are introduced to the compulsory hijab, which became mandatory after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. I’ve always been aware of the fact that I had a lot more freedom growing up in Sweden, even as a young child. No dress codes were ever enforced on me, and I was able to wear what I wanted.
Although my understanding of freedom has changed over time.
Photo: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
As we enter the ninth week of nationwide protests, following the death of 22-year old Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody, demonstrations have spread across the country to many cities and universities, with peaceful protesters chanting “Women, Life, Freedom”. Large demonstrations held by the Iranian diaspora have marched through capitals around the world in solidarity.
Even if my Farsi is getting worse by each passing day and the memories of my time spent with my loved ones in Iran start to fade, I still feel an incredibly strong connection to my birthplace. Watching these heart-wrenching events unfold, it has left me with feelings of rage and fear but most importantly hope and pride. I’ve never been prouder to be an Iranian woman.
What we are witnessing is a historic moment, a revolution led by Iranian women and particularly the youth. For the first time in a very long time Iranians around the world have united and dare to feel a glimpse of hope. However, it’s taken over four decades for the world to just listen. Will it take another 43 years for the world to respond?
Photo: Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
How you can help
Here's ten Iranian activist accounts to follow for more information:
There is also an Amnesty petition you can sign.