From Iran to Philadelphia: How Two Cities can Connect Two Strangers

Protesters march down N Independence Mall W at the Freedom March for Iran on Nov. 19, 2022.

THE HISTORY:

Iran has not been the same since the Islamic Regime took over in the 1970s. Rules were set in place by Iran’s current leader, Khamenei, for all women to cover their hair, banning alcohol consumption and other laws that changed the way Iranian people lived. The Guidance Patrol is the religious law enforcement from Iran’s government; they enforce the Islamic laws.

Protesters celebrate at the Freedom March for Iran at Franklin Square on Nov. 19, 2022.

Mahsa Amini was a 22 year old Iranian woman who was murdered by the Guidance Patrol. She was not wearing her hijab correctly, a requirement of Iran’s government. This killing set off hundreds of protests and vigils in Iran and all over the globe.

The Instagram account called @phillyiran tracks all of the activity and announces any new information involving the revolution in Iran. The account also announces events, protests and demonstrations in Philadelphia. The account was created right after the murder of Amini and was used to organize vigils in the city.

SANAZ YAGHMAI:

Sanaz Yaghmai is the original creator of the @phillyiran Instagram account. On that account, Yaghmai and a social media manager post multiple times a day updating their followers about what is happening in Iran.

Sanaz Yaghmai prepares for the Freedom March for Iran at Franklin Square on Nov. 19, 2022.

Yaghmai’s parents, along with her entire family, left Iran before the revolution was over in late 1979. They settled in Dubai where she was born and raised. “I have been back to Iran many times since the Revolution. The last time I was there was in 2015, but each time I go back I feel like a foreigner in my country.”

Growing up Yaghmai’s parents told her stories of the old Iran, how people traveled the world to visit Iran and its rich culture and society. “My parents used to call Iran the Paris of the Middle East.” she said.

Yaghmai said that she is unable to feel connected to the Iran of today, claiming that the new laws of the Islamic Regime were changing the country too drastically. “It was exactly like a cancer” Yaghmai said when describing the Islamic Regime.

Yaghmai came to the United States after she graduated High School in 1999. She traveled from Dubai, to a small town in Pa., to South California and then back to Pa. in 2020.

A protestor holds balloons with the colors of the Iranian flag for the Freedom March for Iran at Franklin Square on Nov. 19, 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the world, Yaghmai found herself in Philadelphia looking for a sense of community. “I joined Telegram after some coworkers told me that I could find people there.” On the app Telegram, Yaghmai met lots of Iranian Philadelphians and she was able to reconnect to some other lost friends along the way, like Sepehr Pirasteh.

SEPEHR PIRASTEH:

Sepehr Pirasteh was born and raised in Shiraz, Iran in the 1990’s. He never experienced the old Iran that the Yaghmai’s family talked about. He was used to the strict laws and grew up following Guidance Patrol.

Sepehr Pirasteh stands on Temple University Campus before teaching a class on Nov. 29, 2022.

Pirasteh got his undergraduate degree at the Tehran University of Art but left the country in 2017 and moved to Michigan to continue his education. He knew he wanted to pursue a degree in Music Composition. He claims that with the current government it’s hard to achieve success in the arts. In Iran it’s hard to express yourself freely as an artist, said Pirasteh. His art focuses on the social and political issues of the modern era and how that impacts living under the theocratic and oppressive regime.

After getting his Masters in Michigan he came to Temple University to pursue his PhD. “Philadelphia is a lot like Shiraz, Iran. It has history and you can tell that a lot has happened on these streets,” he said.

Yaghmai and Pirasteh met while doing work for Afghan refugees but became friends because of their Iranian roots. They reconnected recently due to the death of Masha Amini and the citywide vigils. They wanted to reach out to local Iranians and allies that were also craving a sense of community.

THE MARCH:

The Freedom for Iran March was on November 11 and consisted of a march from Franklin Square to the People’s Plaza and ended with a demonstration about the events that occurred on Bloody November in Iran.

Protesters participate in a demonstration at the Freedom March for Iran at the People’s Plaza on Nov. 19, 2022.

Bloody November was a massacre of at least 1,500 protesters by the Iranian government. During the demonstration protesters laid on the grass wearing red splattered t-shirts, signifying the lives lost during the massacre. The event in Philadelphia had a total of 108 people, which was a decreased total from their previous events.

Protesters participate in a demonstration at the Freedom March for Iran at the People’s Plaza on Nov. 19, 2022.

“I am seeing a lot more non-Iranian people getting involved… That’s what we really need. We want everyone to know that human rights are a global concern and should be talked about,” said Pirasteh. “We should not be seen as exotic. It’s the orientalist point of view… we are seen as a different type of human being.”

Now Yaghmai and Pirasteh, along with 4 other contributors, update the account and organize the Freedom for Iran events. “This was my dream come true,” said Yaghmai; she always wanted to form a community of local Iranians who want to be politically active.

A child chants with the protest leaders the People’s Plaza on Nov. 19, 2022.

FATEMEH SHAMS:

Fatemeh Shams is a Persian Literature Professor at University of Pennsylvania. She gave a short speech at the march, asking the attendees to follow the @phillyiran Instagram account because of how hard it is to find accurate and reliable information about what is happening in Iran.

“They are working day and night with 0 institutional support. Every single one of them is chanting slogans and saying slogans… They are risking their security and they deserve your support,” she said.

Assistant Professor of Persian Literature, Fatemeh Shams, speaks at the Freedom March for Iran at the People’s Plaza on Nov. 19, 2022.

Shams acknowledges how difficult it is for people like Yaghmai and Pirasteh to keep an Instagram up to date and accurate when the Iranian government works to silence its people.

“The families of Iran have been cut off from the global internet. This block out was the regime's response to protests that block out the voices of the people of Iran. As Iran turned into a virtual black hole, the regime carried out a silent massacre of its people,” she said.

Ever since the murder of Amini the Iranian Government has been turning off the internet sporadically in efforts to keep its people silent.

Sarah Ekandari leads chants at the People’s Plaza on Nov. 19, 2022.

THE ACTION:

“Amplify the voices of Iran and the Iranian people. We have to make sure that their voices are heard.” said Pirasteh. “Don’t be afraid to talk about it… If we really care about human rights, we should also be advocating for those related to Iran.”

Protesters celebrate at the Freedom March for Iran at the People’s Plaza on Nov. 19, 2022.

“There are bills still potentially being passed by the United Nations like the Commission on the Status of Women. We need to have it removed, so signing any petitions about it is important for Iranian women,” said Yaghmai. “They need to vote ‘no’ to the nuclear deal because if it gets signed, money will be given to the Islamic Regime.” Along with getting politically involved it's also important to demand political prisoners be freed, Yaghmai added.