Latest / The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook / Iran Freedom & Human Rights: Zolal Habibi on Activism, Women’s (Part 2)Rights, and Global Change

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Iran Freedom & Human Rights: Zolal Habibi on Activism, Women’s (Part 2)Rights, and Global Change · The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook

0:00
Welcome to Part 2 of our episode with Zolol Habibi.
0:05
Today we're going to hear from Zolol about the values and the
0:09
why, not only for her and her own story, but for the NCRI.
0:15
We're going to hear her layout, specifically what the NCRI would
0:21
like to see from the US and the powers that be around the world
0:25
to allow the people to overthrow the regime and take power to
0:32
create a democratic, free, safe Iran.
0:36
There is a 10 point plan that has been laid out by NCRI leader
0:43
and President Miriam Rajavi that 4000 countries, organizations,
0:49
UN participants around the world have already said yes, we are on
0:53
board, we agree with this. We need to get more power behind
0:58
this so we can actually help the people in Iran do what's best
1:04
for the people and to rid themselves of this suffocating
1:09
regime and to rid themselves of the colonization and greed of
1:14
other countries around the world, including and especially
1:17
right now, the US. And this is so important.
1:21
It's so important to Get the facts from the people.
1:24
So here's Part 2. Listen, share.
1:28
Thank you so much for being with us, and thank you so much for
1:31
supporting this important conversation.
1:35
Share it far and wide, and we'll see you again next week.
1:39
We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week,
1:42
but I really wanted to make sure that all of our energy was
1:46
focused on these important conversations with Zolal Habibi.
1:50
Thank you so much for being with us.
1:53
I want to go back to the values piece.
1:55
Explain to me because you, you and I, when we first met, you
1:58
talked about the fact that what sets you all apart is that you
2:02
actually build policy off of these values that are steadfast.
2:06
They're unchanging. They're they're, they're
2:10
everyone knows what they are and they don't shift and change with
2:14
changing dynamics or political environments.
2:17
They're always there. What are those values and who
2:21
came up with them? Well, I think those values are
2:28
some of the most core values that we human beings have in
2:33
general, and I think that is like the guiding light for us.
2:38
The reality is that our, you know, the founders of this
2:41
organization based those, the fundaments of this movement on
2:46
core values and they from the onset, they made clear like what
2:51
they stand for and what they stand against.
2:54
They studied like practically all the different ideologies out
3:00
there and were able to, you know, pull out like what are
3:04
those cores? What are those main messaging
3:06
and like, what is it that we stand for as a progressive
3:10
movement? So they didn't try to like say,
3:13
OK, that one fits us best and we're going to take that.
3:16
No, they, they built that from scratch.
3:19
And so one of the main things that they did emphasize on was
3:27
the fact that they are opposed to any form of discrimination,
3:32
any form of exploitation. And that's, that is like the
3:37
core value, like any form of exploitation, be it be it by
3:44
class, be it by race, be it by gender, be it by anything that
3:51
we create or put in place to differentiate between people's,
3:56
that all people are all human beings are born and poor.
4:01
So all of that, that creates those divisions and puts people
4:07
in different compartments, those are all forms of exploitation
4:11
that has been created by one side to dominate over the other,
4:17
right? So having that understanding and
4:21
fighting against that exploitation.
4:24
And that is why the minute people realize that, look within
4:29
our own ranks, we still have, you know, patriarchal thoughts
4:36
or like ideals, that is what they're like.
4:39
Well, that's a form of exploitation we're going to
4:41
stand against. So from the beginning, that has
4:44
been like one of the key issues that this movement has
4:48
concentrated on and been, and they've built everything based
4:54
on that. So it's always been being the
4:56
voice of the oppressed, being the voice of those who are, you
5:01
know, being degraded to whatever level or they are not receiving
5:08
the proper, you know, possibilities and, you know,
5:12
everything that they should. And so that has been always a
5:15
corner story. And that's why, like we always
5:18
said, you know, no matter from what class in society you come
5:23
from, at the end of the day, we belong to the lower lowest class
5:27
to try to be able to lift them up and to be able to give them,
5:32
you know, wings and to allow them to grow.
5:35
So that has been like something that's been very important.
5:37
Like that is like the ideal that this movement works toward.
5:43
Like if you want to say like, what is this idealistic slogan?
5:49
It it is forward on or like onward toward a, a society that
6:00
everyone is equal in and every human being is respected.
6:05
That is like the final goal that we have.
6:08
And it's it's not even limited to Iran or the freedom of Iran.
6:13
This is something that's going to continue for generations and
6:16
generations until we reach that day that all forms of
6:20
exploitation are eliminated in society.
6:23
So that is like the ideal that we've been, you know, working on
6:26
so towards in this process. I mean, they're some of the
6:31
values that we stand for is first of all, because they did
6:35
study our found founding brothers, they did study like
6:40
all the different revolutions, all the different ideologies,
6:43
history and everything. So they had an understanding,
6:46
all-encompassing understanding of, you know, what has been the
6:52
experience of human history or, you know, society.
6:56
And so with that in mind, they, they set the, those core values,
7:01
like one of them is, you know, sacrifice and honesty.
7:08
So in every scenario, every issue that you deal with, how
7:13
can I fix it by making a sacrifice?
7:15
How can I fix it with my honesty?
7:17
And to, you know, to create that unity in society, you need those
7:22
two. You need to be able to give and
7:27
not want anything in return. It's not in negotiation.
7:29
It's not, you know, not a transaction.
7:33
Yeah, get wholeheartedly. And also to be honest with
7:37
yourself and with everyone else because that unity comes from
7:41
that honesty. So that has those have been core
7:44
values. And so there, I mean, through
7:49
this movement, there's so many human values that have been
7:53
revived or have been set straight, I think.
7:57
But so in every aspect and every angle that you look at it and
8:02
you see, you know, for each one, when the beauty of it is each
8:05
one is by its own symbol like a person that you've seen them be
8:11
that way or, you know, people who.
8:14
Have you know? Among those who have been
8:16
executed by the regime, even, but you see those symbols and
8:21
the fact that these, you try to learn from each other's values
8:26
and set each person as an example for a specific value and
8:32
then follow in their footsteps. So that then you realize like
8:36
the abundance of values that you have and the abundance of the
8:40
valuable people that you're surrounded by and to cherish
8:44
every single one of them and honour them for who they are,
8:48
the path that they have chosen for the sacrifices that they
8:52
have made. Because each person, each
8:54
individual had their personal story and each one is very
8:59
valuable. And to realize that.
9:02
And that I think is one of the things that's like of great
9:06
value. But I think that also what you
9:08
said, I think the first person who said this about us was at
9:14
the time, he was the Vice president of the European
9:16
Parliament. And he said you are a movement
9:19
that instead of, you know, giving in or bowing out of like
9:26
your principles or what you stand for because it will be to
9:29
your benefit, you actually stand and defend it and try to explain
9:35
it. Like This is why we did this and
9:37
This is why we stand for it. And because you're willing to
9:41
really stand for it, you're able to have that power to change the
9:50
other person's views or to be able to, you know, truly clarify
9:56
that. Look, these are what we stand
9:58
for. This is where we stand.
10:00
This is what we, you know, our views are like.
10:02
We have got taken due to the positive appeasement that
10:05
uranium resistance was actually labeled as a terrorist as a
10:11
goodwill gesture to Hatami back in 1997.
10:14
Like like back in at a time that like al Qaeda wasn't even on the
10:18
terrorist list, but it was just more, you know, the same way
10:22
that Mandela was on the terrorist list at the time.
10:24
So, so but this movement didn't just accept that because
10:32
everyone said, look, it's impossible to be removed from
10:35
the terrorist list. No one has ever done it before.
10:38
Even Nelson Mandela was only removed from the terrorist list
10:42
like years after they had, you know, they had able to overcome
10:51
appetite. And it was only the first time
10:54
that they had invited him to go come and speak at the US
10:58
Congress that they realized that, oh, we need to remove him
11:01
from the chances to allow him to come and speak.
11:04
And that is when it happened. So this is years after he was,
11:07
you know, you know, they had been able to overcome appetite,
11:13
government and everything. So everyone told us like it's
11:15
impossible, but Mr. Raja was like, no, we're going to stand
11:19
by our principles. We haven't done anything wrong
11:21
and we need to set that wrong, right.
11:24
Not we have never done any. We hold our head up high for
11:29
everything that we've done and we're willing to take
11:31
responsibility, full responsibility for anything that
11:33
we've done, but we haven't done anything that could be labeled
11:37
as terrorism. And so through 15 years, and I
11:41
think over 20 different courts, court systems, both in the US
11:48
and the, and Europe and, and UK everywhere, they, you know, all
11:54
without exception, every single court this issue was taken to
11:59
voted in favour of the, the movement and said there's
12:04
nothing in their record that can be categorized as terrorism.
12:11
And so the at at the end of the day, and I mean, in the US, they
12:15
really got stuck on this because they're like, how are we going
12:18
to do, you know, how are we going to revoke this whole
12:24
process? So actually, Hillary Clinton was
12:27
the one who actually did it finally.
12:29
But the reality is that, I mean, it was a you know, what was
12:35
interesting is we were able to bring lawmakers to come and be
12:40
the ones who actually filed against the court rulings.
12:44
Like that is how much they were able to believe in us because
12:47
they were like, no, you know what we are like Francis in in
12:52
the UK, it was, you know, Lords and MPs who were like, you know,
12:56
we are we have sworn to the Queen at the time.
13:01
And but our government has done something wrong.
13:05
It needs to set a wrong right. And so that's, you know, those
13:09
was filed by 35 lawmakers asking the government to, you know,
13:14
change your change your status or like in the US, it was like.
13:18
A. The the claw that they used in
13:22
EU based on the US Constitution to be able to finally remove the
13:29
name of the resistance from the chassis.
13:31
It's something that hadn't been used in 200 years and it was
13:36
done. And so that, you know,
13:38
everyone's like you are setting a new precedent even in U.S.
13:42
history, even in our own, in in fact, empowering our judiciary,
13:48
empowering the fact that, you know, there's a, you know,
13:51
separation of, you know, powers in the US.
13:55
And in fact, you are adding to this democracy by doing that, by
14:01
clarifying that, you know, you have that power in the judiciary
14:05
to make that decision independently or what not.
14:07
So I think that throughout, you know, the history of this
14:12
movement, there's so many ups and downs and there's so many
14:14
obstacles that we have overcome that a lot of lessons can be
14:20
learned from them. Yeah.
14:22
And each step of the way, we have realized how important it
14:26
is to stand steadfast by your values, even if it's not public.
14:32
I remember back in 1996 when Hatami was chosen by the regime
14:39
as president. For us, it was clear that this
14:43
was just a show for the West trying to say like, oh, we have
14:48
a reforming or we have a moderate too.
14:51
And maybe, you know, if you guys start negotiating with him and
14:55
then you might see some kind of change in Iraq.
14:58
And they were just trying to buy time.
15:00
And it was clear to us. And what was very interesting
15:03
for me back then, I was, I was still in high school, but I was
15:08
15. And I remember this was done in
15:15
end of May. This, you know, hot timing was
15:18
brought out of the ballot box end of May and then the next day
15:24
the National Council resistance, everyone gave a statement and
15:29
Viper never gives birth to a dog and there is going to be no
15:33
reform under Fhatami. And that was not very popular at
15:38
that time. Everyone was like, oh, just give
15:40
him a chance. You never know.
15:42
It's Khomeini has died and it's Khomeini now.
15:45
And you know, he's a moderate. So maybe things are changing and
15:51
you guys just are holding a grudge or whatever.
15:53
And we're like, no, that is in principle.
15:57
And Viper never gives birth to a dove.
16:00
You can't. I mean, that is just it's
16:03
nature. It's not going to.
16:04
And no one believed us back then.
16:07
And it took them decades, unfortunately, to realize that
16:11
this regime is not reformable. Yes.
16:13
And right now, I mean, for 20 something years, Missus Rajavi
16:17
has been saying, look, warning the world that the solution is
16:21
neither war nor appeasement. IT support the remaining people
16:24
and their resistance to bring about change.
16:28
She always stated that look, the policy of appeasement will
16:31
eventually lead to a war. We need to take that, you know,
16:37
understand that because I mean, that experience actually exists
16:42
from World War 2, right? They, the West appeased Hitler's
16:49
to the extent that it was already too late.
16:52
And so the war broke out. So that experience actually
16:56
existed. So you need to learn from those
16:58
experiences and understand the logic behind them.
17:01
And because this, this is all very logical and it's, it's a
17:07
science, you know, in itself. So if you understand those those
17:13
rules and that that logic behind it, then you can make those fair
17:18
distinct statements. And what is very interesting for
17:23
me is actually a few days ago, I ran into a video.
17:26
It's from back in 1996 and it was a speech by Missus Raja We
17:31
and someone was sharing it for International Women's Day.
17:35
And I was like, if you just listen to the audio without the
17:40
video, you think that she's talking about today.
17:42
And I think that those Evergreen statements that come out from
17:46
this movement, like we have videos like from our, you know,
17:50
some of the top people in this movement who have unfortunately,
17:55
throughout the years been killed by the regime or back in the
17:58
early 80s. And when you listen to it,
18:01
you're like, that's exactly what happened.
18:04
You know, it was right. You know, statements were true
18:07
or like, for instance, one of the the head of the National
18:12
Council of Resistance and real Mr. Rajavin, his speeches from
18:16
back in 1979, they still are tuned today.
18:22
And it's like, Oh my God, how did you foresee this future back
18:27
then? It's not like he foresaw the
18:29
future and he just understood the science of it and the logic
18:32
of it. And so he was like, look, this
18:34
is what's going to happen. I mean, the fact that four days
18:38
after being released from prison in 1979, and it was like a week
18:43
before Khomeini took over, he said, Long live the Democratic
18:49
Republic. No, sorry.
18:52
Long live the democratic revolution, everyone.
18:55
And that created like a whole, you know, whole bunch of, you
19:00
know, noise because the regime was presenting it as a Islamic
19:07
revolution. And here is one of the key
19:10
people who has created this revolution and was imprisoned
19:12
till the last day was the last set of political prisoners
19:17
released from prison. And everyone knows that they are
19:19
the, you know, the ones who I created disruption.
19:22
And he's like, no, no, no, it's a democratic revolution.
19:25
We did not even though we are Muslims, we did not revolt for
19:29
Islam. We revolted for freedom.
19:32
And freedom is the one, one thing that we should new that
19:40
that is the litmus test here. Yeah, parenting, everyone's
19:44
freedoms. And that is what's being put
19:47
under, you know, is being stomped on right now by the
19:51
regime law. And he said that from the from
19:55
day one. And it took a lot of people for
19:58
decades to understand it. So I think that you know a lot
20:01
of those statements. They really, sometimes you just
20:06
get chills watching it and you're like, Oh my God, you
20:08
know, based on this, like 47 years ago and today, the world
20:14
is starting to realize it. So sometimes we feel like, I
20:18
wish more people would listen, but yes, yeah.
20:23
But it's very interesting to see it in the process and to learn
20:27
from it and to be able to have that kind of guidance to move
20:31
forward. Yeah, yeah.
20:34
Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much.
20:36
Not for that information, for how you really live out your
20:40
values. They're not just words, but you
20:42
consciously, continuously over the last 50 years have lived out
20:46
these values. The history of like, boy, if we
20:49
could just pay attention and learn because I think what is
20:53
becoming so clear now in these days that we are watching this.
20:57
And really for me from the US watching it in frustration
21:02
because of the failures of our own government.
21:05
And quite honestly the in peer reasons, in my opinion that our
21:10
government has stepped in it it you're asked you, you need
21:14
regime change. It isn't OK for just the next
21:18
guy in line to step in. This regime needs to be removed.
21:23
That is your expectation. That is your hope.
21:28
But we, we, we believe that people have to do that because
21:32
that was my next question. Democracy can't be installed,
21:37
OK? Have to come from the people of
21:38
Iran. And the reality is that we have
21:41
this experience too. I mean, just look over the last
21:45
100 years in Iran. Reza Han, he was installed by
21:52
the British in a coup d'etat. He was a military general and
21:56
then he was made king. And then once he wasn't serving
22:00
the interest of the British anymore, they took him out and
22:02
they installed his son. And at the beginning his son was
22:09
didn't have the strength that his father did.
22:11
So the people of Iran, they were still pushing forward the 19 O 6
22:15
constitutional revolution and everything.
22:17
So they were able to elect a Prime Minister that actually
22:22
represented the people of Iran. So the only democratic
22:24
government that Iran has had in the last 100 years was Doctor
22:27
Mossadev, and that was for two years only.
22:30
And the US said that, well, he's nationalizing Iran's oil.
22:34
And it's not true. You know, their benefit.
22:37
So what did they do? They carried out a coup d'etat
22:41
against Doctor Mossadev and reinstated the Shah.
22:45
So again, the Shah was brought in by the Americans.
22:49
And then in 1979, actually in the end of 1978, like few months
22:56
before the revolution, the world started to realize that this
22:59
regime, the Shah is not going to be able to keep himself in
23:03
power, especially after, you know, the Bloody Friday where he
23:07
killed, you know, thousands of people on the streets in, in
23:11
Iran. And so they brought in Khomeini,
23:16
who was in exile in Iraq to Paris and they met with him and
23:22
they had discussions in Guadelou and they decided it was a Cold
23:25
War era. They really, they said, well,
23:28
you know, these progressive movements who have actually
23:31
created this revolution, we don't know what direction
23:33
they're going to be going into. So, and we don't know where they
23:37
lie in regards to USSR. So it's better for us if we have
23:43
this fundamental, this Mullah in power rather than allow the
23:48
people of Iran to have those progressive movements create the
23:50
new government that they want to.
23:52
And unfortunately, Iran's, you know, it was a popular
23:57
revolution that overthrew the Shah, but the revolution was
24:02
hijacked by Khomeini. And the people of Iran have been
24:06
paying the price for it ever since.
24:08
So this time around, people are around, like, look, you know
24:11
what? Thank you, but no thanks.
24:12
We want to do this ourselves. We want to be able to create
24:16
that change ourselves because that is the only way we can
24:19
guarantee some kind of democracy in Iran.
24:22
We are not stuck in between choosing between the current
24:26
regime and the previous regime, which were both dictatorships.
24:30
We want to move forward in the 21st century and we want a
24:34
secular Democratic Republic. And that is like what is key and
24:42
it is but guarantees that we can create that.
24:45
I think the 10 point plan presented by Mr. Rajavi gives a
24:49
guideline for it because in it's, even though it's only 1010
24:54
points, but it outlines to, you know, the T like things that
25:01
need to be done and things that we need to, you know, prevent.
25:05
Like the fact that it's calls for, you know, the ballot box is
25:09
the only criterion. Freedom of speech, freedom of,
25:13
you know, press, freedom of association.
25:20
Remove the free Internet access, which people in Iran don't have.
25:25
But also the that all of these entities, these suppressive
25:30
forces and every way of it, they all need to be, you know, rooted
25:36
out. Yeah, they need to be removed
25:40
and completely. So it's not just rebranding
25:43
because that's what happened from the Shah to Khomeini.
25:46
So it was Sava. The Sava became the same, same
25:51
structure, same, you know, people even to a great extent.
25:55
Or like, for instance, the Eternal Guards became the IRGC.
25:59
For now, the IRGC become Eternal Guards again.
26:01
No, that's not how it's going to work.
26:03
So they all need to be removed. And the fact that it calls for,
26:07
you know, gender equality, the rights of ethnicities,
26:12
separation of religion and states, a non nuclear Iran,
26:16
which is at peace with its neighbors and neighboring
26:19
countries. Iran that, you know, actually
26:23
even about Iran's environment because right now it's a it's a,
26:27
you know, it's completely destroyed.
26:29
And so like it had a free market economy, independent judiciary,
26:34
I mean, all of these they really outline or provide that
26:38
guideline for you to be able to make sure that that interim
26:42
government is able to do what it does.
26:43
And as Mr. Rajavi has reiterated, even in the past
26:47
week after the death of Khamenei, she has stated that
26:51
you look what is clear. First of all, this is what we
26:55
outlined. The provisional government is
26:57
for six months, then they the people of Iran through open been
27:06
elections, so like public elections.
27:07
So every single person gets to vote and make be effective in
27:11
that. In that regard they will vote
27:15
for a you know, so after like 6 months they will vote for a
27:20
national legislative and constituent assembly.
27:24
From that moment on, they don't have any responsibilities in
27:29
regards to the the interim government.
27:31
Their work is done. This new National Legislative
27:35
and Constituent Assembly takes responsibility.
27:38
They are responsible to draft the new constitution and
27:42
determine the new republican system of the country and
27:46
legislate for the administration of the current affairs until the
27:49
formation of the first National Assembly under the new
27:52
constitution and designated government, which will, you
27:56
know, oversee the whole process within that time.
28:01
And then there will be after the new constitution is put to vote
28:07
by the people, everyone, and it's finally, you know,
28:09
ratified, then we will have, you know, free elections and the new
28:14
system will be up and working. So she has clarified there.
28:17
And in her message, she actually says, I emphasize once again
28:22
that the NCRI and the provisional governments are not
28:25
seeking power, but rather the transfer of power to the
28:29
sovereignty of the Iranian people.
28:31
And I think that's. Really important yes.
28:33
How do we get the world to listen to that and pay attention
28:37
to that because this is not what we're hearing about on the news.
28:40
We're I mean we're and so how do we get the attention of the
28:44
people and and what needs to happen from the outside powers
28:49
to make this happen? One, they got to listen and and
28:52
put their own interests aside because I feel like other, you
28:57
know, the US and a lot of other countries, their own selfish
29:00
interest impact this as well and which is a problem.
29:04
It's not a help it yeah, I mean it's not it doesn't matter if we
29:09
if the US goes in and, you know, blows things up and and it
29:14
that's that's doesn't put these forces into play.
29:20
Not to mention the oil. There's so many things the oil,
29:23
the money is there so many things that factor this in.
29:26
In your ideal scenario, what would need to take place from
29:31
these outside entities for this to go into play?
29:34
Because you talked about there you've got movement, you've got
29:37
people on the ground that want to put this into play, but it
29:41
doesn't happen. It doesn't happen if these other
29:44
regimes are in the way. I think that right now, the
29:50
point that we are today, I think that the phase of appeasement
29:56
has come to an end, which is good.
29:59
Hopefully the war will end too very soon because it's not to
30:03
the benefit of anyone. I think what needs to happen at
30:07
this point is for the international community to
30:09
recognize the provisional government that has been
30:12
announced by the NCRI, but also to recognize the right of the
30:16
Iranian people to resist and to fight against this regime, to be
30:20
able to overthrow the regime in its entirety.
30:23
Then that is something that I think the the massacre that has
30:29
been carried out in January of this year, that was the hay that
30:32
broke the camel's back for the people of Iran.
30:35
They realize that, look, we have to continue this until the
30:39
overthrow of the regime, otherwise they're going to buy
30:43
time. And then we have to come again
30:45
to the streets and there's going to be a more brutal massacre
30:49
like this one. And again, the regime is going
30:53
to, you know, suppress. And then it's this cycle is a
30:55
never ending cycle. We need to put an end to that
30:58
cycle by taking our destination into our own hands and
31:01
overthrowing this regime in its entirety.
31:04
The only thing that the uranium people are asking for in the
31:06
uranium resistance, they have clarified like 1000 times, we
31:11
don't want your money, we don't want your troops on the ground.
31:15
None of it. Just allow us to be able to
31:19
fight. Stop preventing us from doing it
31:23
with the policy of appeasement or with your, you know that
31:26
these limitations that you're putting on the people of your
31:28
own. So I think that is what's key.
31:31
And I think that I mean, there are governments who are, I mean,
31:34
keep lawmakers who are stepping in this direction right now.
31:39
Over 4000 lawmakers around the world do support the 10 point
31:43
plan of Mrs. Rajavi and also 130 former heads of state, over 100
31:50
Nobel laureates have supported. So many people are from
31:53
different parts of the spectrum. Have our society have supported
31:59
this 10 point plan? But it's time to speak about it
32:02
more, bring the attention of everyone to it.
32:07
I think it's really important to emphasize that, look, the people
32:09
of Iran, they're not asking for troops on their ground.
32:16
They're asked. I mean, if you really want to
32:19
help the people of Iran, I think there are different ways that
32:21
you could do it. First of all, you could, you
32:23
know, first support the resistance, allow them to take
32:26
matters into their own hands. The other is that you could
32:31
have, you know, help the people of Iran against the censorship
32:37
that the regime creates in these times, like provide them
32:41
Internet. The world could have done that.
32:42
They could do that. Even right now, it's not being
32:45
done. And so that allows the regime to
32:47
open hands in its crimes. You can hold the regime
32:51
accountable for its crimes against humanity, for its war
32:55
crimes. Impunity is what emboldens
33:01
dictators and the international community has allowed that for
33:06
the Iranian regime for decades. So I think that these are like
33:09
very key elements, that these are very practical steps that
33:15
the international community can take to shut down Iran's
33:19
embassies because they are, you know, how the regime is carrying
33:25
out this terrorist activities and everything.
33:27
So, you know, hold that those are very key.
33:33
Yeah. Steps that can really help the
33:35
people, everyone in their fights and allowing them to, you know,
33:39
actually carry out that fight themselves.
33:41
Wow, thank you so much for that. That is so helpful and so
33:45
informative. And I think it's the information
33:47
we all need to hear and know so we know how to voice to our own
33:52
governments that are engaged in this.
33:54
No, you need to do this. This is, you know, calling our
33:57
senators, calling our representatives and say no.
34:00
Now we have our own issues right now because our president isn't
34:03
even asking Congress like he's violating our Constitution all
34:07
over the place. So we've got our own mess here
34:09
happening and now he's created engaged in in your issues and
34:14
mess, not in the interest of your people, but for you know,
34:18
and that's been true for generations, unfortunately for
34:22
so many of these Western countries that colonize and go
34:26
in and think they have all the answers instead of trusting you,
34:29
the people who know your history, who are invested.
34:33
So thank you so much for breaking that down for us.
34:36
That's so helpful. There's so I talk a lot about
34:39
layers on here. My networks called the embracing
34:41
layers network. There's so many layers to your
34:44
story. There's so in your own family.
34:46
There's so many layers to the story of the Iranian people and
34:51
being able to look at all those layers, look at what's happened.
34:55
Let's learn from this and let's be allowed the fact.
34:58
I mean, I did not know until I talked to you today that your
35:01
organization has a 10 point plan that's been set forward that
35:05
lays this all out, that there's, you know, thousands of people
35:09
around the world that are coming saying, yes, this is this is how
35:13
we do this. So thank you so much for sharing
35:16
that. Is there a place that 10 point
35:18
plan can be found online so people have access to it?
35:23
Yes I could. I will share with you like the
35:25
links and everything so you could share in the notes.
35:28
Absolutely. That's fantastic because I think
35:30
these are the things we need to know so we know as individuals,
35:33
because I think sometimes as individuals in these countries
35:36
where governments are doing things are like, there's no way
35:39
that's for the good of the actual people in this country.
35:42
This is not about that. How do we use our voices and
35:46
lift our voices to support the actual people on the ground in
35:50
the country? And this gives us some, some
35:53
great resources to do that. Thank you so much for that.
35:56
Thank you for sharing the history, the layers of the
36:00
Iranian history, the stories. You know, I'm 56 years old.
36:03
So I, I remember I was 10 years old when the, when the in the
36:09
Iran, the hostage situation and the overthrow of the Shah and
36:12
all these things happened. And then it looked like an
36:15
opportunity. And then it just became more of
36:17
the same, which is so tragic. It's like, OK, it's time to
36:20
break that. We've seen how this goes.
36:23
And I think it's important for all of us to be it.
36:27
It, it sounds simple, but like let the people be who they are.
36:33
Let support the people and no one knows their traditions,
36:36
their, their rights, their freedoms, their desires, their
36:40
hopes more than them. Support them and do things to
36:43
support them in building the freedom that we all want.
36:47
Let's, let's, let's help them build that too.
36:50
So I thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all of this
36:53
information sharing all the layers to this story as we as we
36:59
wind this down and I've got a few more kind of fun
37:01
lighthearted questions as before we end up, what is it?
37:05
If you could tell people what you wish they understood?
37:09
Because I think another thing that's come up for me is how
37:13
your faith informs, because I think the West has a, but not
37:19
just the West. The Islam religion is all over
37:23
the world. But I do think there's a
37:25
misunderstanding of what its principles are and how it
37:28
informs these movements versus how it's weaponized.
37:33
Just like Christianity is weaponized.
37:35
I mean, there's the true form of it, and then there's actually
37:38
the weaponized form. I think we see that a lot with
37:41
Islam too. What do you wish people knew
37:45
about that? That you think is misunderstood?
37:49
I think. That there's, there's a lot of
37:51
misunderstanding there, but I think that it's really important
37:55
to understand that all of these religions, they actually have
37:58
the same core and the same beliefs and just at different
38:01
times. But in fact, Islam is supposed
38:05
to be the religion of peace. And actually it's the first
38:11
religion that because it, I mean, things progress with time.
38:15
I mean, each one are very valuable and they've just moved
38:20
forward each time with the times, with this situation that
38:24
they, you know, at the time that they were founded.
38:27
But in Islamic, for instance, it's actually I think the first
38:30
religion that is against all forms of exploitation.
38:33
So that is like one of its keys. And like in the in Islam at that
38:38
time, it was against slavery back 1500 years ago.
38:45
So they took that step and against racism too.
38:49
Like for instance, the prophet had the person who says the as
38:54
on the call to prayer to be someone who was, you know, a, a
39:01
black African and at a time that they were supposed to be
39:04
enslaved. And he was like, no, he's a
39:06
human being just like you are who thinks why are you being
39:10
treated differently? Why should he be treated any
39:13
differently? Or the fact that at a time that
39:16
unfortunately back then, they were, they would bury girls
39:21
alive because they were, you know, they don't want daughters
39:24
or whatnot. He only had one daughter.
39:27
And he was like, she is the apple of my eye and that is the
39:33
only way that I will treat her. And you need to treat your
39:36
daughters the same way. And everyone at the time was
39:38
like, you know, you need to like have another child for it to be
39:44
a son or whatever. And he was like, no, that's not
39:48
he. All human beings are are created
39:51
equal and what not. So I mean, even the reality is
39:54
that people don't really understand like the course.
39:57
And I think that it is a very revolutionary religion if you go
40:05
into like the basics of it and like the understanding of it.
40:08
But of course, I mean, things change over time.
40:11
I mean you. You shouldn't be.
40:13
I think a lot of things are taken out of context in Islam.
40:16
It says there, there's there's this one verse in the Quran and
40:19
it says there's no force in religion.
40:21
If you take that as like that principle, then nothing should
40:26
be by force. So then all of this that we are
40:31
seeing that is not the truth Islam that is being presented.
40:35
And I think that that's really important to understand that
40:38
time and to understand that, you know, unfortunately all
40:43
religions have been misused at one point in time.
40:48
And this is what we're seeing right now.
40:50
And there are those who do have fundamentalist or maybe
40:57
fundamentalist is not a good term.
41:00
It could be positive too, but like a, you know, back word
41:05
minded set of understanding of, you know, each religion that's
41:10
true in all of them, you know, and it's very important to
41:13
differentiate between them and understand that all of these
41:16
religions actually have the same message and work toward the same
41:21
values and what not. So and personally, I think that
41:26
religion should be a personal matter to people.
41:28
So it should be a choice, personal choice for people.
41:31
It shouldn't have any role in how it's dictates to the society
41:36
or how people should live their lives.
41:39
It should be a personal choice and it shouldn't have any place
41:43
in the government. Yeah, yeah, because they take
41:46
the parts that work for them and weaponize them and they leave
41:49
out the actual truth and core. But we've seen it happen time
41:52
and time again. Thank you so much for sharing
41:54
that. I think that's so important that
41:55
we draw the line between what's actually true versus what's
41:58
being weaponized and what we tend to hear about and we get
42:01
very. And the sad thing about the
42:03
weaponized piece is it's, it's led to just tragedies throughout
42:08
the world because people don't actually understand the truth of
42:11
it, what's happening. And they, they make a judgement
42:14
based on erroneous information and make tragic decisions based
42:19
off of that. So I think it's so important.
42:21
Thank you so much for breaking that down so well.
42:24
As we wrap up today on a little more of a light hearted note,
42:28
tell me 5 activities that nourish you.
42:36
I think that was probably like the hardest question I got.
42:44
So one is, you know, giving, giving to others, you know,
42:59
showing, showing that and like listening to people, having time
43:09
to think and to think in depth about, you know, things that
43:15
you're seeing, pointing out the values or what you learn from
43:21
others and touching that and honouring that and showing that
43:27
respect. That's 4 right?
43:33
Were you still? What else?
43:41
And taking joy in the little, in the little things you know and
43:46
enjoy life. And that's fine.
43:51
Thanks. OK.
43:52
Yes, thank you so much. I think that taking joy in the
43:54
little things that goes back to that hope that you hold, I mean,
43:57
I think that really that really gives you the resource you need
44:01
to keep doing this vitally important work that you're
44:05
doing. All right, 5 words on how you
44:08
want to feel the next six months.
44:13
Optimistic, full of energy and keeping up that hope and resist
44:33
and to strive beyond what we have and I guess to also be able
44:58
to mobilize. Yeah.
45:01
Thank you so much for that. Zolol.
45:03
Thank you so much for your time today.
45:06
We, you, you are doing important work right now.
45:08
In fact, we had to, we had to split this recording into two so
45:11
you could tend to an important meeting for all that's going on
45:14
in the world right now with your country and with your fight for
45:19
its freedom. Thank you for sharing this
45:22
information. I've learned so much.
45:24
I'm going to share this as far and wide as possible.
45:26
All of Zola's resources are going to be LinkedIn, our show
45:30
notes. But do you want to share 1A
45:32
final thought with everyone? And two, the best way to learn
45:37
about about NCR is work. I guess the call to action would
45:46
be, as you said, raise awareness and learn more, but also contact
45:52
your lawmakers, contact your local media, share the message
45:57
of a meeting people, use your social media platforms, share
46:01
the message. There is 1/3 option on Iran.
46:04
It's neither war nor appeasement is supporting the people of Iran
46:07
and their organized resistance and the people of Iran.
46:11
There's also another they have 1/3 option in the path they
46:15
choose. They're not stuck between this
46:17
current mullahs or the previous Shah's dictatorship.
46:20
They want to move forward to secular Democratic Republic and,
46:25
you know, share the 10 point plan, share the, you know, the
46:29
views of the NCRI and take part in the different events and
46:34
activities that they have in support of this movement in
46:37
different countries. In the US, you can reach out to
46:40
oiacoiac.org. That's the Organization of
46:44
Iranian American Communities. They have chapters in over 40
46:48
states, so you should probably be covered there.
46:52
But yeah. And to learn more about the
46:55
NCRI, you could visit ncr-iran.org or you could also
47:01
visit mayarajaviforchange.com to learn more about her and what
47:08
she stands for in her views. OK, All right.
47:11
Thank you so much, Zolal. I, we will be supporting you.
47:15
We will be getting the word out. We will be sharing this
47:18
information. I'm, I'm so thankful.
47:21
I'm so honored that I got to share you on my platform and we
47:25
will continue to spread the word.
47:27
Keep, stay safe, keep that hope up, and continue to stay in
47:31
contact on how we can support you.
47:35
Listeners, this is maybe some of the most important information
47:40
on a global level that I've ever shared on this platform.
47:43
Be curious, get into these resources, learn this is an
47:48
opportunity that will remove all pass judgments or stereotypes or
47:52
what you thought you knew and take this information and this
47:56
conversation and learn and move forward with this information
48:00
and think about ways that you can actively support it right
48:04
where you are. We can't all do everything, but
48:07
we can all do something and and remember that that you are
48:12
valuable and you are worthy and you get to choose and we want
48:16
that for everyone. We want everyone to have that
48:19
privilege and that right. So thank you, Zola.
48:22
Again, take good care and thank you so much listeners for being
48:26
with us here on the Field Podcast.
48:28
We'll see you next time. Hello and thank you so much for
48:31
being with us today on this episode of the Field podcast.
48:36
If you would like more information on how you can apply
48:40
these talk points that I share with our guests in each episode
48:44
to your own life, really utilize this Feel framework.
48:49
Go to embracinglayers.com, fill out our contact form, and let's
48:54
set up a free 30 minute consultation to talk about how
48:58
you can start living your most authentic, organic, healthy,
49:04
feel fueled life. Thanks again for being with us
49:07
today. We'll be back to you soon with
49:09
another episode here on the Feel Podcast.