Okay, I agree.
Great.
Check one, two.
All right, so we have it for the
cameras. Could you introduce
yourself and tell us which
organization you're with?
I'm Zahra Fakery and
I'm Officer of Iranian Student
Association at UWM,
Milwaukee.
When and why did you leave Iran?
My parents loved Iran
and it was because
of the revolution and also my father
was a political prisoner in Iran
because he was against
IRGC so we had
that kind of thing in our family so
it was better for our safety to not
live there anymore.
Have you ever been there to visit?
Yes.
When was the last time you were
there?
More than six years ago.
How would you describe life there
before the war began?
Um People,
people were,
in Iran we had a lot of uprisings.
So we were always waiting
for a good moment that
people can get
rid of the Islamic regime.
So what I would see every time,
more hope in people's lives and
they were waiting for the moment.
Whenever you would, even sitting in
the taxis or talking with youth
or old people, they would always say
that it's pretty close to
see the moment that they're gone.
And right now,
I see that even
after facing all of these strikes
in the country,
they are all agreeing in this
that living under
the Khomeini dynasty is
more horrible and terrifying
for them than the threat of my
souls. So that's
how they see the situation and
how they're waiting for the moment
to see the freedom
for Iranian people, because...
They're not only thinking about
their nation, but also the other
nations that are already getting
involved, and they have been
involved for 47 years.
So it's something that's
nationalized, and it's something
that would help everyone to
see the freedom and have
a better and safer world.
That's all we're thinking of right
now.
Tensions have been building for a
while, for months, between the
United States and Iran.
What was your reaction when you
learned that a military strike from
America and Israel had begun?
Because I was in all
the uprisings,
as I said, it was just started
a couple of months ago.
But the worst thing that happened to
Iranian people was two months ago
that the country
was again under
the blackout for
more than 10 days.
We could not hear from them.
Even the phone lines inside Iran was
completely cut off.
And people would, even neighbor to
neighbor, they could not call each
other. So in that moment, they
slaughtered more than
30,000 people in the country.
Whoever I knew as an Iranian, I
would talk to them and they knew
someone close to their families,
relatives or friends, that they lost
their lives.
So all of this tension started
before whatever happened
with the intervention of any country
like Israel or U.S.
So we
faced that, and we were.
All depressed and
crying their eyes out for more
than two months and after that the
blackout finished we
could see what has happened to
Iranian people and
then at that moment we tried all
Diaspora and Iranian people outside
of Iran we tried to be their voice
in asking other countries to help
our people because for 47
years we tried different ways
with uprisings,
with protesting, with everything.
We could not help as our nation.
We could do anything for ourselves.
The only thing, the most precious
thing is our lives.
We lost a lot of lives.
We do not have anything more to
offer.
And also we are seeing that other
countries are facing some issues
with IRGC and Islamic Republic.
And the threat is not just for
Iranian people. They're already
kidnapped.
That's what I see.
Even right now after 250
hours of blackout, they're
kidnapped. So.
They're there, and the other nations
are seeing everything, all of
the terrorist activities, all of
things that are happening and
threatening people's lives in other
countries.
If you dig into them, there are some
hands of them in that.
And Iran is a very
wealthy country, they have a lot of
oil and gas, and all the money just
goes to supporting and
funding terrorist activities around
the world.
So we begged for this
moment, honestly.
All of the uprisings
and all the protests and rallies
that happened even outside of Iran,
we were mentioning that we need help
from the U.S.
We were calling the president.
We were asking all
the countries that they could help
us.
So it was something as
an intervention that they would help
Iranian people to remove this
Islamic regime.
And then Iranian people do the job
and make the country a free country
and taking back our own
country to The
real Iran that was
in
1979, it
was a real Iran.
People were always judging Iranian
people based on the country that it
is right now because of the
government.
We tried so hard and we are trying
so hard to show that we
are even kidnapped by
them. We are also under pressure of
this government.
So we are
Iranians, and we are different.
We don't have anything to do with
all of these activities,
and war should be a better place
also for everyone.
This wall.
So you do support the military
action right now?
Yes, I do, because as
I said, there was no other way
around.
What are the discussions you have
with other Iranians about
the war who
are here in Wisconsin with you?
We never say that we are not
terrified, we are.
We are scared of everything.
Right now, because there are
different phases for Iranian people,
at first we were so happy
because of the intervention that we
were waiting for.
After that we got really happy
and thrilled because of death of the
Khamenei, but we all knew that
it's not just one person, it's
systematic.
We cannot say that and topple
that government down just by killing
one person.
Now we're seeing that everything is
happening there, and they're
using Iranian people
as human shield.
They're all getting hidden under
the hospitals, into schools.
Even I'm seeing the
Iranian TV and media
inside Iran, that they're
doing all their interviews exactly
in front of the blackboards of the
schools, elementary schools.
So we are worried for our people.
It's not thinking about the military
that is happening, because we see
that it's targeted and why the
technology they can choose where to
hit and what's happening there.
And those people who are responsible
about all the things and terrorist
activities are the target.
But we are scared that
as they never cared about
human lives in Iran,
they're again doing that at this
moment, using Iranians'
life as a human shield.
So that's the most terrifying part
for us right now.
Who should lead Iran?
Whoever Iranian people inside
Iran and Iranian people outside of
Iran are agreeing with right
now what I could
hear the same both
inside and outside of the Iran was
Rosa Pallavi and
everything that they were
saying even the last
time that Iran was not under
the blackout there were
a lot of Iranian students that they
did protest inside
the schools inside the university.
They were all chanting Javid
Shah, which in Persian
means we're waiting for
the king.
So Reza Pahlavi is the previous
king's son.
So now everyone is, almost
most of the higher percentage of
Iranian people are agreeing on him
and they're repeating the same
sentence together inside and
outside. That's what I'm hearing and
seeing.
So do you want free and fair
elections for Iranians?
Yes, yes.
Have you been in contact with family
since the war began?
Yes. Totally.
Tell us about your family.
So,
it's so emotional.
It's because of the blackout,
there's no way to call them.
So, they're calling us
directly by the phone
lines and the
quality of the call is
terrible.
What they say is always that
we are
okay, everything
is fine and everything
will be fine.
Do not worry about us.
Thank you very much.
They're saying that they're gone.
They're already gone.
Everything is finished
at least in the
minds of all the Iranians so We
know it's kind of over
and we are waiting for that
24 hours that it happens because
based on the history and everything
that we read about all their
dictatorships Everything
happens in the last 24 hours
There is standing to the last
minute, but they will fall down
in a minute.
So What they're
sharing is that, and
they're talking about how they're
using tapes and scotches on the
windows, because
they really do
not know where are they hidden.
For example, my mother-in-law's
house, all the windows shattered
down because her
house was close to one of the IRGC
centers,
and by close, I mean like
more than five miles or six
miles, something like that.
The point is that we are scared
that if they're hidden in the
neighbor, in the other apartment
beside you, we do not know that
most of the times,
especially right now that they're
targeted by missiles.
She was like, at first
I was scared so
bad and I was screaming and
trying to get hidden because
in Iran there is no serents,
there is not shelters.
As I mentioned, the government does
not care less about human
human lives in Iran.
So there is nothing there.
People are just informing each
other. And imagine there is no
internet.
So in 21st century how
they can help each other, someone is
telling the other one.
Or the other opposite way, they are
just staring at the targets
and recording that to just
send it out to outside of Iran if
they can.
But they are
pretty sure that if the target if
the muscles are coming for targeting
IRGC They're safe,
that's all I know.
And they feel like this,
but they're full of hope.
Is it difficult being separated and
not being able to communicate with
family?
What I learned, they could not cut
off the line from inside,
call it from inside to outside, but
if I want to call them directly,
there is no chance.
And they don't have the internet
either, that's an outage?
So when they call you is the only
time you're communicating with them?
Yes.
Yeah, we set a time so they will
do their best to call at that time
in the morning.
That's how we can communicate.
But I'm comparing, for example,
today, it was the last time I talked
with them.
I'm covering that too.
Like seven days ago, the quality of
call is terrible.
And we were both saying
that we guessed that they were doing
something with phone lines too.
And uh...
One of my other friends she talked
on phone with her family and
when she was like crying and asking
like how is the situation because
it's so hard from outside all
your beloved ones all your family's
relatives even your your own your
own country is uh...
In a very bad situation it couldn't
be worse than this but uh...
She was crying on the phone and when
she said how is everything going on
there the phone was cut off
we're pretty sure all of
our calls are kind of big.
Scanned or they're hearing what
we're saying because they're
filtering everything too.
What are your hopes for
family and the other
Iranian residents still there?
I'm comparing my people
with other countries like Ukraine
or other countries that they
had the same situation.
I'm saying that Iranians are not
escaping from the country.
They're not even going outside of
Tehran or because many
of my families are from Tehron in
the capital and it was the main
target.
They're staying at homes and
they're not escaping the country
or even the city because they
are waiting for a better situation
to come.
And also what
I think is that people
are more trusted
to Israel or USA.
If they're saying just stay at home,
they're rather to listen to that.
Because the Iran government,
IRGC, sent a text message to
all the phone lines saying that if
you're in Tehran, leave Tehron
and go to another city.
That was the text that they sent to
Iranian people.
And then Iranian people were like,
OK, if they're...
IRGC says that we're not doing
that, that's how the scenario works
there.
So I'm saying that they're not
afraid, they're recording
the missiles coming down,
they are talking to each other
easily and they are
not escaping from their homes.
So I feel like it's
so different from my culture
to other cultures because
they feel more belong to their
country and they feel like they have
to stay at their homes and they have
to.
Uh... Support each other and
do not get scared and also wait
for that moment that's what i see
from outside and uh...
As i mentioned the Texas out from
IRGC uh...
Right now the Texas that they're
receiving is that they
are threatening Iranian people if
they come outside and
protest or do anything and there
are going at
night to people.
At night we chant from
out from their windows like death
to dictator death to
common a something like this and
then they started to
walk in I mean
driving around the area and
the streets and Playing
some songs to cover those
chantings and after that it
didn't work. Now.
They're threatening people while
they're They're driving
around a area.
So now the situation is
changed to threatening Iranian
people on TV,
on text messages, now
it's what they're saying inside.
You had said that you do
want a regime change.
Where do you stand on foreign
intervention forcing that
regime change?
Do you support that?
I do because after 47
years, if you do
have a checklist for getting
rid of a regime,
we have done all the checklists.
It was the last option for us.
And also, right now, we're agreeing
that together because the other day
we were saying that imagine
after more than 10 days
of being bombarded and
all of those missiles to their
centers, to everything.
By the most powerful military
service in the world like U.S.
And Israel, they're still there
and they're threatening Iranian
people.
How we could do that with bare
hands?
Was there any other option for us?
We could not see that.
And as I say, the last option for
us was losing more than 40,000,
30,000 Iranian people, I'm
estimating the number because
they would never ever let us know
how many they are.
Some Iranian organization And by
writing down the names, they
could... Do some estimations and
now we know that there are a
thousand of Iranian people so we
don't have anything more to offer
that's what we're thinking.
What are your thoughts about the
anti-war protests here in the United
States and those who think
that America should not be waging
this war?
So, it's really important
for everyone to know
people and talk to the people
and understand those people from
their shoes.
What I really want
them, if they are looking for
something good for my people,
it is the best case scenario to ask
my people whether it is their
thoughts.
No one says the war is good.
No one says that I want
missiles to come to my country.
Even if I say that there are IRGC
centers, there are buildings that
they were built in my city, in
my country.
They are precious, not only for me,
but also for my people.
But if it could help my people
to live better life,
okay, even not thinking about the
better life. If they can be safe
for the next years
or in the future,
I would like that to happen.
And also
something helpful for
other nations too.
They have to know what are we
fighting with.
So if there is any other options for
them, let us know because we
could not find any other solution
for our people, for our country,
for the safety of the Middle East.
Now they can see how the
IRGC is reacting.
They're bombarding Dubai,
Emirates.
It was so surprising for even
Iranians that we are, we can expect
anything from IRGCs.
There is nothing that you can tell
me.
And I said that, no, there is a
limit for IRGC.
There is no limit for them.
There is not limiting them for
killing Iranian people,
for human shields.
There is a no limit to them.
So what we are seeing is
the true face of IRGCs.
Please see that and please
talk to Iranians.
We Iranians who have our
families, our beloved ones inside
Iran, we would
definitely know something that you
might not feel it, and all the
scenarios are not as easy as you
might think.
Written on the paper.
Everything might be complex and more
complicated.
So we are thinking that
this regime is more horrifying
and more scary
than IRGC to
stay in our country.
That's what we think.
The Trump administration has
said the reason that they began this
war is to stop Iran from developing
nuclear weapons.
What are your thoughts on that as a
justification for this war?
Based on my
experience,
they have never said anything
right. They were so professional
in lying.
If they have said that they stopped
that, 100% it's a lie.
If you ask an Iranian, they would
say that they're definitely lying.
So if they say
that the stopped it, I believe they
did not. If they say that they
wanted to use it for peaceful
or anything good.
For a human being, 100%
say that it was wrong.
If there is a use of having
bombs by having
nuclear technology,
100%, that's what they were
looking for.
So even if they
say that they stopped it, I would
not believe that.
No Iranian would believe that,
so if any other country say
that. No, there is some doubts
that they were continuing that and
they were progressing on
using a nuclear rip-in or something.
I do believe that more,
so there is a good chance for
them.
What resolution are you hoping for
in the end?
Getting rid of Islamic
regime, Iranian people
doing their job to
make the country free and
having a secular government and
a better place and showing the
world what is a real Iran and
what is real Iranian people and
how it could be a better world with
peaceful country
in the Middle East, that's
what we are looking for.
I've seen some discussion that the
iranian regime is now threatening
iranians living abroad
uh... Have you seen or heard that
are you concerned
You know, you would be
concerned if you, if this is
your first time seeing that.
We're seeing that every day.
Iranian embassy sends a lot of
emails to me, I can show you.
They're sending a lot a texts to
families of people who are,
who their their
daughters or sons or their...
Anyone close to them are outside of
the Iran.
Right now the last threat was
for less than 48 hours ago
that they threat us that they will
take over whatever we have inside
Iran. If, I don't know, if we have
an apartment in Iran they're going
to take it over because of my
activity.
If I do have, I dunno, a land or any
property that I do, have it, we take
it away.
So this was the most
recent threat, but there
are tons and every day we're
receiving emails because...
If they can access to
you via, I don't know,
Instagram or Twitter or
anything, they would do that too.
So, and we are living that life of
having threats every single day.
Are you concerned that attitudes
towards Iranian-Americans
may change as the war goes
on and more American soldiers
are hurt or killed?
Honestly, what I'm seeing between
Iranian peoples, I'm not
saying that
human lives is depending
on their nationality, but
we're so
concerned that more non-Iranians
are losing their lives
because we see that it kind of help
to our nation.
So what we're praying all the time
is that there is less
American or non-Iranian lives
to lose their lives in this path
and we're all appreciating
this and we cannot thank
them enough for what they're doing
for our nation.
I know that it's definitely going to
reflect all other nations'
lives too, not only Iranians
but at this moment we're
just concerned more
lives are going to be lost with
this. So we're hoping that
day happens ASAP.
So, um...
Human lives can be saved more
not iranian also but
also americans as well
Um, how old are you?
Thirty-three, thirty-two.
I've asked a lot of questions, is
there anything else that I didn't
ask that's important?
I'm saying, because
as a person who
is trying to be Iranian's
voice and joining most
of the rallies inside
America and being a
member of the diaspora of Iranians,
we are seeing other groups that
they're against us and they're
trying to fight against us.
And kind of stopping us or
even intervening with all
the rallies that we are doing.
And they're supporting IRGC, even
if they don't think that they're
doing, but they are doing that.
So what I really want them to know
is that just by supporting
Iranian peoples, they can fight
against IRGCs.
And if they're against Iranian
people outside
of Iran or inside of Iran,
they are indirectly supporting IRGs.
So I would like them to get
more educated on what is
the real story, what is a real
feeling of Iranians, or at least
talk to Iranians or read
their stories or talk about what's
happening in Iran, how is their
feelings when they do
have parents inside Iran.
Definitely their feeling would be
more realistic than a person who
does not have any member
of their families, thank God that
they don't, inside Iran,
so listening to us and trying to
understand us.
Although this might
not make sense,
because no one would look for
missiles or war in their
country, but if there is something
that we are like
trying to get out
of that is what the most
important thing for us.
So I would like them to understand
us and also Muslim people
around the world.
I never felt like they're supporting
us.
Iran has more than.
90% of Muslims in
the Middle East.
So I want them to support
Iranian people.
They're seeing what is happening to
other countries.
Even that country was supporting
IRGC,
like Oman or Qatar or all those.
They're not still safe.
So I'll want them see
the real face and to understand
who and where they have to
stand for real
peaceful war.
So that's all I'm asking them.
And do not stop us from what we
are fighting for.
Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you.
Could I have you say your name
against it so I can get the
pronunciation correct?
Z-A-R-A
F-A K-A R-I.
And how do you say it?
Zahra Fakery.
Should we do room
tone, Lina?
I think that's okay.
It's pretty wide in here.
I think we're good. We're just gonna
get some more footage of you.