The Phenomenon of ‘Diaspora’ in the Context of the Iranian Revolution

And Ways You Can Help Support the Cause

By Joanna Chu

Sometimes it feels as though there is always a new cause to support. A new fight to be had. For myself, as a first generation Canadian citizen born in China and raised in Canada, there are many fights to be had. Although there are a plethora of problems that are concerning in our country, we can’t deny that we do live in a country with great privilege. Living in a privileged country where we don’t have to worry about the threat of our safety through war and where we have the right to vote or express ourselves freely is one that is often taken for granted. However, I believe that with this privilege comes great responsibility as Canadian citizens living in a first world country. It’s our duty to actively learn and to be aware of the issues that plague our globe. As we become more and more interconnected, it is our responsibility to look out for one and another and to take care of each other because many of these issues revolve around basic human rights.

The most recent Iranian protest has been ongoing now since September 17, 2022. This is an important story that is happening right now and not enough people are talking about it; not enough action is being taken. For context, on September 12, 2022, a 22 year old Kurdish woman by the name of Mahsa Jina Amini was arrested by the Iranian morality police due to a few strands of hair sticking out. She was then taken to a police station to be “educated” on the law—the law that requires all women in Iran to keep their hair covered. A few days later, she had fallen into a coma and then was pronounced dead. A post-mortem CT scan shows signs of skull fractures, hemorrhage and brain injury. 

Following her funeral, a protest erupted which helped kickstart and launch the current Iranian revolution that is happening right now. But this revolution and demand for regime change did not happen overnight, it is the result of a dictatorship that has been regularly persecuting its own people and denying them the right to basic human self-expression. Things like being a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and even singing or dancing can get you killed. 

How has the Islamic Republic been responding to these protests? 

With more murder, as of November 29, 2022: 488 people have been killed by security forces in Iran according to Iran Human Rights group. This number includes both women and children. Read more about the people who were killed in the protest and why it is challenging to verify the identities of those murdered in this BBC article. 15,000 protestors have also been arrested and Kurdish civilians are being systematically targeted, kidnapped, arrested and murdered. Iranian people are knowingly attending protests so that they can fight for their basic human rights and know that there is a chance that they won’t make it back home to their loved ones. 

Diaspora and how it relates to this Revolution

What this leads us back to is our need to be aware of the situation in Iran and understand how it is affecting both Iranians living in Iran as well as Iranians living in other countries such as Canada.

Diaspora is not a new term, however, this is a term that has often come up for Iranians living in countries other than Iran since the protests have began. In history, we have seen this term being used to refer to modern day Jews living outside of Israel and descendants of African countries being moved and living in various parts of the world outside of Africa. In the context of Iran diaspora, we are referencing Iranian people or those with Iranian ancestry living outside of Iran who may have ties back to their migrant country of Iran—more specifically, in the face of these revolutions. These ties come in many forms and may be cultural or religious ties or identity ties but sometimes come with a sense of longing or wanting to return to Iran.

Again, I want to emphasize that the term diaspora is a term that many cultural groups and people from all backgrounds may identify with. However, for the purpose of this post, we are referring specifically to Iranian diaspora. Click the link here to learn more about diaspora as a general term.

We’ve taken the time to speak to two Canadian-Iranian women to learn more about their perspective on how these recent protests have shaped their identity and the rising phenomenon known as “diaspora”.

The first interview is with a woman named Taraneh and the second interview is with a woman named Shiva and includes an audio transcription. Follow along to the interviews here.

Next Steps

Here is an infographic with ways to help the Revolution.

Important social accounts to follow

• Style Shah—an Iranian social media influencer & activist—(@styleshah)
• Chelsea Hart—an LGBTQ+ and human rights activist (@chelseahart)
• Masih Alinejad—an Iranian journalist (@masih.alinejad)
• Sepideh Moaji—an Iranian actress & activist (@sepidehmoaji)
• from: Iran—a feminist coalition of unheard Iranian voices (@from____iran)
• Middle East Matters—a community organization (@middleeastmatters)

Make a donation

If you have the capacity, a donation to an organization that directly supports and helps Iranian human rights issues would go a long way.

Here is a list of some organizations to look into:

• The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI): This organization protects and fights for human rights in Iran. Money that is donated will be used to research all incidences of humans right violations that take place in Iran. Additionally, the funding will go towards documentation as well. Donate here.
• The Iranian Diaspora Collective: This coalition gathers artists, writers, journalists and other professionals belonging to the Iranian diaspora. The Collective invests 100% of their funding into purchasing advertising space in high traffic and visible areas to help accelerate and spread the movement related to women-led protests in Iran. Donate Here.

Sign a petition 

Here are a few that I’ve signed already:

• https://www.change.org/p/g7-leaders-expel-iran-s-diplomats-demand-that-political-prisoners-be-freed
• https://www.change.org/p/stop-execution-of-iranian-protesters

Although, this information has only scratched the surface of what is happening in Iran, I hope that it has helped create some awareness and that as a global citizen you feel ready to take action and to learn more about what is happening in Iran. It’s our responsibility and call to action to help spread this awareness. We need to continue talking, learning, having difficult conversations and to be their voice.