TORONTO — There is hope for a democratic Iran, Iranian-Canadian author Marina Nemat told a small audience at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies recently.
Marina Nemat
Nemat wrote the popular 2007 memoir Prisoner of Tehran, which recounts her experiences growing up in Iran and being tortured in the infamous Evin Prison at 16.
About 20 people attended the early morning briefing at the Wiesenthal centre on Sept. 25. Nemat’s topic was “Iran in the 21st Century: Examining Human and Civil Rights.”
“Growing up before the revolution we watched the same television shows, read the same books and wore the same clothes as North Americans. We had similar cultures and values, and there’s no reason we cannot have them again,” she said.
“One [interview] there was me [a Christian], a Jewish man and a Muslim on a program together. We went out for drinks after and had a great time. Unity is the goal and this proves it’s possible. Now we have to get that message into Iran.”
Nemat said that although most Iranians are not in favour of their government, it is difficult to speak out against it.
“You don’t realize the magnitude of the situation until you wake up with two guns at your head, guards ready to take you to prison. At 16, I thought I was invincible, but I soon learned the harsh reality for free speech.”
She said that torture is the key to Islamic rule in Iran.
“Torture’s used to intimidate and instil fear into the people. It aims to crush your soul.
“There’s a limit to how much torture one can take. If I actually had the information [the guards in Evin] wanted, I probably would have given in to them eventually.
“[Those in power] are experts in torture techniques. It’s been like this since the ’80s. They try to convince you you’re not human, but you must remember you are.”
She said that her memories kept her “alive” when she lived in Iran.
“Only by living in the past did it create a beacon of hope for the future. It kept us human beings.”
Nemat said that for change to take effect, everyone must become advocates for freedom.
“All Iranians in the Diaspora need to band together. If you have friends or family in Iran, try to gather as much information about what’s going on, to be able to speak out.
“If you’re Jewish, or of any other faith, the unity of your people takes precedence. Educate yourselves on your history, culture, current events and the problems surrounding your society. Only when your own people are unified, can peace for all people begin.”
As for those living in Iran who want democracy, Nemat told them to continue to fight.
“With technology today, we see the protests and actions on YouTube. We see innocent people standing up for their rights, and we see them being persecuted thereafter.
We in Diaspora know the truth. We must continue to see it so we know what to fight for.”
Nemat said the biggest challenge for change is communication between former victims of torture and the rest of the world.
“I’ve never wanted sympathy. I’ve wanted support. People think that because someone’s been victimized, he or she doesn’t want to talk about it. No, we need to talk about it, because it’s reality.
“People are just scared and think that if they ask about my experiences, they’ll feel like I will guilt them as if to say, ‘OK, so why didn’t you do something? What are you going to do now?’ But that isn’t the case. We are all in this together.”