Recent Speech by Bijan Jirsarai, Iranian-German Representative in German Parliament
Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen, before our very eyes, a revolution is taking shape.
The world around us has closed its eyes to this event. The brutal killing of (Jina) Mahsa Amini was the beginning of this uprising. For weeks now, thousands of women and men have taken to the streets in various Iranian cities to fight, after decades of oppression and tyranny, to reclaim their rights and freedoms.
Women are the driving force of this social movement, and men and children follow them, standing face to face with armed security forces. An “Enough, we can no longer endure this” is shaking the entire country. Those in power tremble and block access to the internet so that in darkness and away from the world’s view and attention, they can suppress the protests.
But the more they strike, the more apparent the people’s anger becomes. The protests continue, but the world has closed its eyes. Their voices are not being heard.
All the message I receive is this:
“Be our voice, we will do whatever we can.” Yes, they are doing this. They are risking their lives, with a courage that words are powerless to express and describe. A courage that you and I have never possessed!
When one of these young people leaves their home, their mother does not know whether they will ever return! Death, arrest, and torture—everything is possible.
Iranians outside the country are showing courage and taking risks in other nations. By participating in gatherings, by posting and giving speeches, they endanger their own security and that of their families. Why do we do this?!
Because we Iranians are fighting for rights that were given to you and me simply because of where we were born, without us having had any part in earning them. We even sometimes trample on them!
Because Iranians believe in values that “we” in Europe write and advertise on our flags. Values that have kept us Europeans together.
Freedom, democracy, and equal rights—they believe in these values. The question is: do we Europeans still believe in them ourselves?
What is the reason for our prolonged and continuous silence?!
Although “politics” is often a complicated matter, right and wrong in this arena are clear.
A regime that shoots at its own children has lost and is at an impasse and the end of its road.
So where is international feminism in solidarity with and support of this unprecedented and remarkable movement? Where is the solidarity of academics and university groups?
When students are persecuted and shot at within university grounds, only concrete and intelligent attention and support saves human lives.
The Speaker Addressing the AfD:
You should not say anything! You film anti-regime protesters and, knowing it will harm them, you broadcast it!
Now only concrete and intelligent attention and support can save human lives. The regime relies on our inattention, on the fact that we have turned our faces away.
To the extent that Iranian society feels an unbearable sense of isolation, every act of solidarity will have greater impact. I am grateful to my own party, the Social Democratic Party of Germany “Hamburg SPD,” for clearly defining its position from day one. I am also grateful to colleagues who come to the demonstrations. You do not know what a positive impact your actions have (how good they make one feel). Thank you, but it is not enough!
Now we must send clearer signals, because the international community has clearly been silent in the face of images. We all need to understand that the struggle taking place on the streets of Tehran and many other cities is our struggle too.
The matter is nothing less than proving our sincerity. I want to confront ourselves with these questions:
- Are we on the right path in our foreign policy or have we been misled? Just as we were caught off guard in Russia and Afghanistan (even though we have experts in these areas!). How were we able to make changes to our foreign policy when the Russian invasion occurred? Why can’t we now deal with this just as seriously?!
- How is it possible that sanctions against Russian oligarchs that strike at the heads and families of their leaders are possible at such speed, yet sanctions against Iran have only struck with one blow thus far; while the rulers even benefit from the sanctions and their families live in the height of luxury and comfort?!
- Is this not a slap in the face to the protesters when at this very moment a nuclear agreement with a criminal government is being carried out?!
- Is it possible that those at the top of power think we will not watch carefully? Or out of fear of greater crises and economic reasons will we be ready to abandon our values?
What else can we do? Putting ourselves before these questions, evaluating and answering them again, requires courage. Courage far less than what exists in the Iranian people.
But if we succeed in showing courage, we will not only have helped the Iranian people, but we will also have defended our sincerity.
So we too can do this. We Europeans too can proudly voice the slogan that resonates at this moment:
Do not be afraid, do not be afraid—we are all together
Woman, Life, Freedom—Zan, Zendegi, Azadi
