When I first heard that Ahmadinejad had won the Iranian elections in a landslide victory, and Iranians were challenging the results with nationwide protests, I didn't think much of it. It's no surprise that he would rig the election and that people are unhappy with him. But as the protests continued in larger numbers and became ever more violent, I started to follow the news more carefully along with the rest of the world.
As the days turned into weeks, the air seemed charged with possibility. Iranian households all over the world held their breaths. It's hard not to get caught up in too much wishful thinking. One can't help but think that the last time Iranians hit the streets in such a way, there was a total revolution with new leadership and government. Could it be that the people are repressed to such an extent that they would again risk life and limb for a change? The bloody footage all over the Internet suggests that this is so. And when I saw young 20-something Iranian women going up against fully-armed Basij militia for doing nothing more than voicing their discontent, I could not sit idol any longer.
I desperately want the experience of visiting a country where everyone looks familiar, speaks my Mother tongue, and shares my family's culture. When I went protesting with my mom in DC and New York, I felt a kinship with the crowd around me. We all have our reasons to fight for Iran. One of mine is for the opportunity to see the place my parents and grandparents once called home. That "free" Iran is a myth, but each person who protests against the current regime brings that myth closer to a reality- and that, however small, gives me hope.
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See if you can spot Arasb, Sepideh, Aryan, my Mom and Me in this video. (Hint: We appear around 3:29)
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