Students and faculty at the Yale School of Medicine watched hundreds attend a solidarity rally for the women and men who have lost their lives during protests and government crackdowns in Iran.
Brian Chan
staff reporter
Courtesy of Yale Medical School
At the age of 10, Susan Kashaf, Associate Professor of Medicine, cut her hair short, wore boys’ clothes, and was allowed to ride her bike freely on the streets of Iran. These little strategies she grew up with weren’t enough to keep her from being chased by the police, but one day she realized she was pedaling for her own life. rice field.
Kashaf’s story was one of many shared during Wednesday night’s solidarity meeting in the university’s Anlyan Center auditorium. As protests and a bloody government crackdown continue in Iran, Kashaf, along with several other members of the medical school, said in the Yale community and beyond that millions of women, men and children are killed each year. I stepped forward to encourage people to be in solidarity with pedaling for their lives. Day.
“We are Iranian Americans … connected last month to support each other during this difficult time,” Kashaf said opening the event. “Some came from Iran decades ago, some came from Iran months ago. We are here tonight to raise awareness. [and] build a community. ”
The hour-long conference featured speeches, poetry readings, and multimedia images. Videos and photos show Iranian children studying in armed schoolyards, families being tortured, running zigzags to avoid bullets flying, and militants in New York to protest strict hijab restrictions. It complements the memory of the speaker who hoisted a flag made of women’s hair at a rally.
In a poem read at the conference, Kashaf’s daughter Leila Luther centered on the uncertainty of finding a home and having nowhere to turn. I explained the pain and freedom of things at the same time. Despite being thousands of miles away from the focus of violence, she and her family are desperate to speak up for those left behind.
“Her country said goodbye in the form of a disemboweled stuffed animal on an airport conveyor belt,” Luther writes. “6,041 miles of unbreakable cord and her 37 years are not enough to re-stitch the padding.”
Three words came up during the meeting: “Zan” means female. “Zendegi” means life and “Azadi” means freedom and liberty. For the women who spoke at the event, these values, more than the hijab itself, are the driving force behind their constant desire for change. The event’s organizers reiterated that the conversation needs to focus on the repression that comes with enforcing the hijab rather than the clothing item itself.
In front of the Angliang Auditorium was a table of candles intended to engage the audience in this commemoration.Yellow ones represent the adults who lost their lives and white ones the children.Kashaf said the number continued to grow between the time the candles were ordered and the meeting began. She encouraged participants to bring home candles in a way that honors others.
At the end of the conference, the organizers opened the floor to public testimony and statements. For those not comfortable sharing their experiences out loud, there was an option to jot down comments on a clipboard.
H.Conference attendee Elia Hosseini YSM ’26 pointed out that at the heart of the issue is the historical, complex and deep-seated oppression of Iranian women. She recalls when people told her to stop pursuing her dream of becoming an American surgeon, and how some of her university professors in Iran had positive relationships with men. I even shared that I offered a “curve” to someone who was.
She said she looked forward to the day when Iranians, especially women, would be given the opportunity to “not just survive, but thrive.”
For some, this conference is the first step in creating a more conscious and educated college culture.
Kashaf said she is actively working closely with the university to raise more awareness about the Iranian protests and the stories of those involved. I would like to thank Darin Lattimore, Vice Dean and Chief Diversity Officer, and look forward to expanding the circle of Iranian solidarity.
“I hear my dreams in the chants of Iranian women, men, women and children shouting hope in the streets,” said the event’s speaker, who asked to anonymize her surname for safety reasons. Narges said: “I want an Iran where justice and freedom are respected…and I dream that my people can live and die with dignity.”
The Anlyan Center is located at 330 Cedar St.
Brian Chan
Brian Zhang previously covered student life at the university desk and housing and homelessness at the city desk. He is in his sophomore year at Davenport College.
