Nazanin Boniadi:
That’s interesting you say that, Amna, because exactly — you’re exactly right. Regime officials are doing an about-face.
The doctrine says — the Islamic Republic doctrine is very much “Death to America,” “Death to Israel.” And there’s nothing pro-Iran or “Long live Iran” in the doctrine. And yet, in the recent days, in these past few days, you have seen them do an about-face.
They, Khamenei, the supreme leader and former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif are appealing to a sense of Iranian nationalism, because they know they have lost the people. The people care deeply about Iran, but we have to separate the Islamic Republic from Iran, because most of Iranian people believe that it’s an occupying force.
A GAMAAN survey in 2022 revealed this, showing — it’s a scientific survey that was done with a sample size of 200,000, of which 157,000 were in inside Iran; 81 percent of respondents said they don’t want the Islamic Republic; 14 percent — or 15 percent said they do want the Islamic Republic; 4 percent were ambivalent. They didn’t know.
So the vast majority of Iranians still today will not rally behind the Islamic Republic flag. I urge Westerners, please, if you want to stand for Iran and the Iranian people and their sovereignty, please don’t conflate that with the Islamic Republic sovereignty. They are two different things. Do not raise the Islamic Republic’s flag in your rallies.
That is a slap in the face of every dissident, every Iranian who has risked everything for freedom.
