As world leaders express their regrets and even sorrow about the death of Hitler — er, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, across most of the world, it was a different story.
Celebrations of Raisi’s death were muted in Iran as the ever-watchful morality police made certain that whatever merriment was expressed was restrained.
Except for this woman.
Her name is Kosar Eftekhari. She sent her video to Iranian activist Masih Alinejad and wanted the world to know in no uncertain terms that expressing any regret for the death of the “Butcher of Tehran” was morally repugnant.
Her name is Kosar Eftekhari. She is only 24 years old but more powerful than those in power. She sent this video to me because she wants the rest of the world to understand that when they show sympathy to the killers, the regime will be emboldened to target more women like her,…
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 20, 2024
We might expect Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to heap praise on the man who helped execute thousands of people who protested the Iran-Iraq War in the late 1980s. And it’s totally in character for the UN to hold a “moment of silence” for the leader of a nation that murdered more than 500 people who raised their voices against the regime’s gender apartheid.
And yes, Biden’s Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood stood for a minute to honor Raisi. That the United States took part in this nauseating tribute to a man with so much blood on his hands, while Iranian women are being whipped, tortured, and murdered for not wearing a head scarf, is just plain wrong.
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While the celebrations in Iran may have been muted, the outpouring of joy couldn’t be contained among ex-pat Iranians around the world.
⚡ BREAKING: Iranian diaspora all across the world are taking to the streets, dancing and celebrating the potential death of the puppet president of the Islamic Republic regime Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. This video belongs to London in front of Iran’s occupied embassy. pic.twitter.com/XQ6ujoSP47
— Shayan X (@ShayanX0) May 19, 2024
“Raisi is dead. He will never be held accountable in a court of law for four decades worth of gross human rights violations, including the executions of THOUSANDS of political prisoners in the 1980’s, who were buried in unmarked mass graves,” the group said.
“There will be no moment of silence for Raisi today. Around the world and the Middle East, people are whoooping with joy.”
Instead of mourning the death of the president of the Islamic Republic, the EU leaders and members of the UN Security Council should join these Iranians who are drinking to show their happiness. #IranIsHappy pic.twitter.com/NO2up5ZiNU
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 21, 2024
Raisi tried to assassinate Miss Alinejad while she was living in New York City. She penned an op-ed in U.S. News, calling on the West to defend its values.
While Raisi’s death may close the chapter on his controversial presidency, it opens crucial questions about the future of Iran’s leadership. Reports suggest rising tensions within the regime, particularly with Khamenei’s son Mojtaba being groomed for succession. A potential move toward a dynastic rule is exacerbating rifts within the regime, with many Iranians desiring a radically different future.
To be clear, Raisi’s passing will not directly lead to an uprising. The brutal suppression of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests of 2022 and 2023 has transitioned to a new phase: civil disobedience and labor strikes, with Iranian women courageously leading the charge. By defying laws requiring them to wear veils, known as hijab, women are fighting not just a piece of fabric but the regime’s control over our lives. Iranian women are not content to live as second-class citizens in their own country.
In the wake of Raisi’s death, I call upon the West to defend its values. I’m not asking you to dance on Raisi’s grave, but to prioritize where you direct your time and energy. Stand in solidarity with the brave women of Iran who refuse to be silenced or to surrender to oppression.
Just a few months ago, Ebrahim Raisi executed her son, Now, she’s dancing over his death in a helicopter crash.
I told you Iranian women are wounded, but unbowed to their oppressors.
My social media is flooded with videos of the family members of those killed by the President of… pic.twitter.com/y2PR1XkGGx— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 20, 2024
In the streets of New York, the moment I heard that the helicopter of the President of the Islamic Republic, the Butcher of Tehran, crashed, I joined these two beautiful dancers who were making a video. Then I told them this is the music that Iranian youth are now using for… pic.twitter.com/OnoQPDIdoO
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 20, 2024
There are very few people’s deaths I would celebrate and not lose any sleep over my transgression against humanity. Celebrating the demise of another life is contrary to Western values.
But Ebrahim Raisi was a human being without conscience or empathy. It’s a shame he did not suffer with the same agony his victims experienced before their deaths.