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| Simin Sabri |
Psychiatrist and political activist Simin Sabri spoke with Voice of America about the role of young people, especially teenage girls, in the ongoing national protests in Iran, which have lasted for over a hundred days.
Sabri emphasizes that the new generation of children in Iran is not obedient like the previous generation and does not fit into the narrow, traditional, and conservative framework of the Islamic Republic.
She explains, “The children have shown that they are not being trained in the regime’s schools, by their teachers, or in its mosques. These children are born with mobile phones in their hands and are completely connected to the world through the internet.”
Simin Sabri expresses that the new generation in Iran is not obedient like the past one:
"This generation is not like us. We were a very obedient generation. These children are rebellious, self-confident, and have high self-esteem. They do not fit into the regime’s narrow, traditional, and conservative framework... The restrictions we once followed, we can no longer expect from these children. These children know that there is a better life on the other side of the border, and they say, 'Why shouldn’t I live that life?' These children, especially the girls, are at the forefront. This is because the regime’s first target has been women. The regime first controlled women’s clothing to show that they have control over their citizens, that half of them obey their commands to sit, stand, and dress as they dictate.”
Sabri points out that the number of young women and girls among the dead and arrested in the protests is high, and adds, "Families are, of course, sorrowful. They are worried. They are distressed. This situation especially causes a lot of turmoil in traditional families. However, modern and awakened families know that these children are an inseparable part of the movement. Families can no longer keep their children under strict control. They cannot lock them in the house by force or by closing the doors and windows. The children are now crying out that they deserve a better life."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: Yeni nəsil bizim nəsil kimi itaətkar deyil, İslam Cümhuriyyətinin dar çərçivəsinə sığmır