Will Iranians ever escape oppression from Islamic leaders?

Iran’s current regime employs censorship, intimidation, imprisonment, and violence to suppress opposition and interfere in the affairs of other countries. Is there a way out for the people of Iran?

The facts

Iran is a country that has been under the rule of a theocratic and authoritarian regime since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy and established the Islamic Republic. The regime, led by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the president, Ebrahim Raisi, claims to represent the will and the interests of the Iranian people and to uphold the values and principles of Islam.

However, the reality is far from that, as the regime has long oppressed and violated the rights and freedoms of the Iranian people, especially women, minorities, and dissidents, for more than four decades.

It has used various means and methods to suppress and silence any opposition or criticism, such as censorship, propaganda, intimidation, imprisonment, torture, execution, and violence.

Just last week, Shervin Hajipour, the Iranian singer honoured with a Grammy by US First Lady Jill Biden, received a sentence of over three years in prison for his song advocating for the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The arguments

The Iranian people, however, have not given up their hope and their struggle for freedom, democracy, and dignity. There have been protests and resistance against the regime’s tyranny and corruption, despite the risks and the costs.

Iranians have over the years demanded their basic rights and needs, such as justice, equality, accountability, and prosperity. They have been expressing their dissatisfaction and discontent with the regime’s policies and performance, especially in the areas of economy, health, education, and environment.

The most recent and remarkable example of the Iranian people’s uprising was the 2022 women-led mass protests, which were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, who died in police custody after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran.

The protests, which spread across the country and the world, challenged the regime’s patriarchal and misogynist ideology and laws, which force women to wear hijabs and deny them equal rights and opportunities.

The protests also united and mobilised people of different backgrounds and identities, who shared a common vision and a common cause. The protests were, however, met with brutal repression and violence by the security forces, who killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands more.

The question that many people ask is: will Iranians ever see an end to oppression? The answer is not easy or certain, as some many factors and forces affect the outcome and the prospects of the Iranian people’s struggle.

On the one hand, there are some signs and sources of hope and optimism, such as:

• The resilience and courage of the Iranian people, who have shown that they are not afraid or apathetic and that they are willing and able to challenge and change the status quo.

• The diversity and creativity of the Iranian people, who have shown that they are not homogeneous or monolithic and that they have different voices and visions.

• The support and solidarity of the international community, especially the human rights organizations and activists, who have shown that they are not indifferent or ignorant and that they care and advocate for the Iranian people’s rights and aspirations.

Therefore, the answer to the question of whether Iranians will ever see an end to oppression is not a simple yes or no, but rather a maybe or a depends. It depends on how the Iranian people and the regime, as well as the regional and global actors, will act and react in the coming days and months and years.

It depends on how the balance of power and the balance of forces will shift and change in favour or against the Iranian people’s struggle. It depends on how the opportunities and the risks will emerge and evolve for the Iranian people’s struggle.

What is certain, however, is that the Iranian people have not lost their hope or their will and that they will continue to fight and dream for a better and freer Iran. As one of the slogans of the 2022 protests said: “We are not flies, we are butterflies”.