The Other War on Iran (With Roya Rastegar)

Most of us who are against the war in Iran have been loudly calling it out. What we've seen less of, however, is the callouts of the regime before the war. And, more importantly, the uplifting of Iranian voices.As opposition to the war grows, Iranian voices that don't fit the anti-war frame are getting stifled even more. This hurts solidarity. It cuts us off from the people we should be learning from.Roya Rastegar is a scholar and filmmaker who runs the Iranian Diaspora Collective. She's in direct contact with people inside Iran right now, in the middle of a 53-day regime-imposed internet blackout.  And while we don't agree on the war, I believe Roya's voice (and many others) is essential to listen to. She brings the voices of people on the ground into a conversation that's mostly happening without them, people who feel caught between a 47-year war their own government has waged on them, and the one we just watched unfold.When I asked Roya how she felt about the ceasefire (we recorded before it occurred), I was struck by her response. She felt no war had ended. It was just one more phase in that war on Iranian people.This doesn't mean Roya speaks for every Iranian: there are many who are strongly against the war, both in Iran itself and in the diaspora. But it is important to hear this one in order to contend with why Iranians have often been left out of discussions, not to mention simply learning and hearing their experiences.What Roya talks about:- The internet blackout and what the IRGC is doing to its people right now- The January massacres and what they changed- Why some Iranians are saying "I would rather die by bombs than by the regime"- Why "pro-war" and "anti-war" is the wrong binary- What Kurdish feminist thought, and "Woman Life Freedom" in its original meaning, has to teach us- What she thinks the diaspora gets wrong, and what she thinks we need nextFollow Roya:Iranian Diaspora Collective on Instagram: @iraniandiasporacollectiveSubstack: Global FreedomsHer Vox piece on what Iranians are living through: https://www.vox.com/politics/482389/voices-from-iran-war-dispatches------Here We Come is a podcast about democratic movements and nonviolent transformation, hosted by Elad Nehorai.Subscribe so you don't miss what's next.------00:00 Cold open03:00 Meet Roya Rastegar03:30 What Iranians are living through right now06:30 Putting Iranians at the center08:00 The false binary: pro-war vs anti-war11:00 How social media distorts the diaspora14:30 Taking cues from people inside Iran19:00 The 47-year war: how we got here25:30 The January massacres28:00 "I would rather die by bombs than by the regime"30:30 Rethinking the civilian cost of war35:30 Responsibility to protect39:00 What the diaspora needs to do now40:00 Kurdish feminist thought and Woman Life Freedom41:30 Where to find Roya's work