Members of the Iranian community in New Zealand wish to
make it clear that the upcoming protest scheduled for
11 March in Auckland, described as an
“anti-war on Iran” or “anti-intervention” event,
does not represent the views of the Iranian
community.
Many Iranians living in New Zealand have
spent much, or all, of their lives under the rule of the
Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC). Our community includes individuals and families who
have experienced first-hand the consequences of that regime
— including political repression, imprisonment, torture,
executions, forced hijab laws, and the violent suppression
of peaceful protest.
For decades, the Iranian people
have endured systemic human rights abuses. Many of us still
have family members inside Iran today, and we remain in
constant contact with them. Their experiences and voices are
central to our understanding of the current
situation.
At a time when millions of Iranians are
calling for fundamental change and an end to the regime
responsible for decades of repression, it is deeply
concerning to see public demonstrations organised
in New Zealand that frame the issue solely through an
“anti-intervention” lens while failing to acknowledge
the ongoing oppression of the Iranian people by their own
government.
The Iranian community in New Zealand
has not authorised any group or political
movement to speak on its behalf in relation to this protest.
Attempts to frame such events as representing Iranian voices
risk mischaracterising the views of those
who have directly experienced the realities of the Islamic
Republic.
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We respectfully ask that
organisers and participants recognise that the Iranian
people themselves must remain at the centre of any
discussion about Iran’s future. Advocacy that ignores or
minimises the regime’s long record of human rights abuses
does not reflect the lived experiences of the Iranian
diaspora or those still inside the country.
Members of
the Iranian community will be present on 11
March to peacefully express their own views and to
ensure that the perspectives of Iranians — particularly
those who have suffered under the Islamic Republic — are
heard.
Our position is simple: no one should
claim to speak for the Iranian people except Iranians
themselves.
