On September 1, President Trump posted a message asking a question that deserves a direct answer:

“When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”

Mr. President, the answer is: the Iranian people have been fighting for 47 years. They never stopped.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the people of Iran have repeatedly risen against a regime that seized their country, destroyed their freedoms, persecuted religious minorities, imprisoned political opponents, and used misogyny, terror, torture and executions to maintain power.

What has changed is not the courage of the Iranian people. What has changed is whether the world chooses to hear them.

Again and again, Iranians have filled the streets. Again and again, they have paid an enormous price. And again and again, Western governments have looked away, often choosing negotiations, appeasement, or political convenience over standing with the people of Iran.

The Iranian people have been fighting alone for decades.

Here are only some of the chapters of that long struggle.

1981–1982: The Reign of Terror

During the early years of the Islamic Republic, the new regime launched a brutal campaign against political opponents and religious and ethnic minorities.

Thousands upon thousands were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and executed as the clerical regime consolidated its power. Christians, Baha’is, political opponents, Kurds, Baluchis, and others experienced persecution and repression.

The message from the new regime was clear: anyone who challenged its ideology or authority could become a target.

1988: The Prison Massacres

In 1988, one of the darkest crimes in the history of the Islamic Republic took place.

Following an order from Ayatollah Khomeini, thousands of prisoners were executed over several months.Victims were buried in secret mass graves. Families were denied information about their loved ones.

1999: The Student Uprising

In July 1999, Iranian students rose against the regime following the closure of the reformist newspaper Salam. I witnessed those protests myself. I saw students being attacked by regime forces. I saw Basij members chasing protesters and, beating them, throwing people from buildings, shooting at them in the streets. I remember the terror of watching what was happening from the rooftop of my home. The crackdown became one of the defining moments of my generation.

I will never forget those days. And I will never forget how quickly the world forgot them.

2009: The Green Movement

In June 2009, millions of Iranians took to the streets after the disputed presidential election. I witnessed this too, from inside Evin Prison.........

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