Her Father Was Executed in 1988. Today She’s Fighting for a New Iran.
As the world focuses on war with Iran, a voice from the Iranian resistance explains what the people themselves are fighting for.
Everyone is talking about Iran right now.
Missiles. Retaliation. War.
But there’s another story unfolding beneath those headlines. It’s the story of the Iranian people who want to decide their own future.
This week on You Are What You Give, I spoke with Zolal Habibi, an Iranian-American activist whose life has been shaped by that struggle.
Her father was executed by the Iranian regime during the mass killings of political prisoners in 1988. Since then, she has dedicated her life to advocating for a democratic future for Iran.
We recorded our conversation from Israel during the current conflict. At one point, the interview was interrupted by an air-raid siren, a clear reminder that these conversations are happening in real time.
Zolal’s message:
Whatever comes next for Iran cannot be imposed from the outside. The Iranian people want to shape their own future, by the people, for the people.
In our conversation we discuss:
• What many Iranians actually want right now
• Why they reject both war and appeasement
• The long history of resistance inside Iran
• Why women have become a leading force in the movement
• What people outside Iran should understand about this moment
At its core, this episode asks a question that runs through many conversations on the You Are What You Give podcast:
What does it mean to stand on the right side of history?
Watch or listen to the conversation here:
Thank you for joining us for the journey.
— Avi