DEAFENING SILENCE
It is no secret that the Iranian regime is an authoritarian state that enforces religious conformity through violence and fear. The ordinary Iranian people are risking, and losing, their lives in an attempt to reclaim their country and their freedom - from one of the most frightening theocracies on earth. The regime kills those who dare to protest, having oppressed its population since the Shah was driven out. It is also no secret that the death penalty is issued disproportionately among Iran’s persecuted minorities – including Christians, Baha’i and Kurds. Iranian women who refuse compulsory veiling, students who chant for freedom, artists who risk prison for a line of poetry, and civilians abducted from their homes all find themselves strangely sidelined. Their suffering is real, but it is not useful. Their humanity is undeniable, but it does not flatter the ideological needs of the moment. At the same time, Iran directs its fury outward, threatening Israe...