11/11/2022
Its been weeks since I’ve shared Persian food and culture here. Why? Because the Iranian people are suffering and mourning. Women getting killed for showing their hair. Men getting killed for singing a song about freedom. Teenagers executed for writing a poem. I would rather share about the rich culinary culture and history but how can I when so many suffer?
If you don’t what’s going on there, here is an update:
It’s been 8 weeks now that the Iranian people have been protesting. It all started with the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini who died at the hands of morality police for a piece of her hair showing beneath her hijab. Since then, protesters have flooded into the streets taking a stand for “women, life, freedom.” Women are courageously removing their headscarf’s and dancing in the streets (which is illegal). Simply marching, dancing, chanting, and singing.
These protests have now led to Judges in Iran calling for a mass ex*****on of protestors. That’s more than 14,000 people, most of them are high school and college students (the real number is likely double but due to the Islamic regime silencing everyone, we can’t be sure how much higher the number really is). Of the hundreds that have been killed, 41 of them have been children. This is just the very beginning.
While sharing recipes and stories of the beautiful culture I fell in love with will by no means ease the pain, I know it’s important to continue talking about the current affairs in Iran. I feel overwhelmed by the burden of helplessness. Maybe, just maybe, sharing stories and recipes is just what people need to feel connected.
