The death/murder of Kurdish-Iranian Farinaz Khosrawani, 25, is a story of dictatorship, rape, oppression of women, racism, class-warfare and arguably, bribery. So crazy that you can’t make this up. But in the Iran we see today, it’s the reality—and this is the Iran that the West is working to lift sanctions from. Are you sure that’s a good idea? I think not.
The death/murder of Kurdish-Iranian Farinaz Khosrawani, 25, is a story of dictatorship, rape, oppression of women, racism, class-warfare and arguably, bribery. So crazy that you can’t make this up. But in the Iran we see today, it’s the reality—and this is the Iran that the West is working to lift sanctions from. Are you sure that’s a good idea? I think not.
On May 4th, Khosrawani plunged to her death as she jumped from the 4th story of the Tara Hotel in Kurdish Iran, where she was working as a maid, in the attempt to escape rape at the hands of a Regime Intelligence Agent. She chose death, over the living-hell of being raped.
Living in the constant shadow of the fear of the Regime, Kurds in Iran are a persecuted minority in their own country, and on their ancestral land. Often treated as second-class citizens, the Regime’s agents are often deployed to intimidate, control, harass and threaten the larger Kurdish community—to instill fear of, and submission to, the Regime in Tehran. Raping Kurdish women is a tool long used by Regime agents. Don’t put it past them—this isn’t the first time, but hopefully it’s the last.
And how does bribery play a role here? The intelligence agent had threatened the hotel owner; ‘co-operate, and we will help your business. Don’t, and say goodbye to your business and its reputation.’
This is the Regime we are considering lifting sanctions off—this is the Regime we are about to embolden. Is this really what we want?
What leverage will we have to demand change, when the Regime is financially stronger and more stable? How will we be able to encourage civilian and grass-roots activism?
Next time you hear a slogan about “supporting diplomacy with Iran,” take a second to consider what that means. If Iran refuses to discuss its human rights record, then it is not diplomacy at work—its propaganda.
Want to lift sanctions on Iran, great! Just make sure HUMAN RIGHTS is a condition of that deal… if not, you’re hurting Iranians more than you could ever help them.
#JusticeForFarinaz