are well. So I'm Marissa. I was the one texting you. And I'm
Frederica. Nice to meet you, Erica. I'm just wondering whether
if there is any delay in the video call. Is everything okay?
Yeah, it looks and sounds good. We were just discussing a
little technical matter and. Do you see that? I did.
I was a background if I have to blur that. No, it looks good. It
looks very good. Are you able to rotate it slightly to your
right? Yeah, just to center you back. Maybe.
I got it. Okay. That is. That looks and then tilt the camera
down just ever so slightly. Yeah.
She is so particular. I just have to tell you she does this on our
program every week. That's where my skin. Just let me know what
it is. No idea about that. You look fabulous. I love your
glasses. Thank you so much. Many thanks. Really quick. I'm going
to check with our engineers who are recording this and just make
sure they're all ready to go before we we don't want to make
sure that you have to answer a question twice. Andrew and Andy,
how are you guys doing?
Okay, we'll keep chatting with. Okay.
Post from the time because in this way, I'm pretty chill. Right
now I'm not in Milwaukee. I'm in Los Angeles. So yeah, because
two days ago, it was the FIFA game match between Iran and New
Zealand. Yeah. So there are a lot of I know it should not be
political, but for Iranians, also the football match as you
call it soccer match. It's kind of political as well. So kind of
there is a vibe also here. So that's what I'm saying. Yeah, I
was rooting for Iran. Totally rooting for Iran. And it was
tied, right? Isn't that what happened in that game? Yeah, but
the point is that it's so complex. You because the point is
this, the people who are playing as a in football, and right now
and they're in highest level, they cannot be in highest level
of representing the country unless they are operating under
within a system that is controlled 100% by IRGC. And
they're all also otter, former football players that right
now they're in prison just for just one story or post. So that's
that's being said, it's kind of complicated because at the
same time, we know that they're supporting IRGC. But at the
same time, they're are kind of representing the country as
well. So it's kind of complicated. And it's hard to explain
no, I know you explained it really well in it. So there I am
sitting on my couch rooting for Iran. Yeah. Okay. And then
really quick, Sarah. So you will notice that we have far less
questions than Stephen did for you. And they're they're pretty
simple. And it's because this is an update. So it'll be a
little shorter than the first piece we aired. So we just want
to be cognizant of your time. And, you know, want you to be
able to kind of guide the conversation where you want it
to go. So just to give you a little bit of an idea of what
we're what we're looking for.
Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, sure. All right, I'll back out of
the way. And you guys, I just following up on the football
match. So what was that like for you and others in attendance
then as to rooting for that team?
The first priority for all Iranians right now is to be the
voice of Iranian people inside Iran and also showing the whole
word that what is really Ronians and how we are separating
ourselves from IRGC. We also considered him as a tourism
tourist community. And I don't know governor. I don't know. I
don't know what to call them, honestly. So but we are seeing
them as a dictator that are ruling over our country. And we
are looking for freedom and getting rid of that and topple
that IRGC from our country. And that's the good thing for
also the whole region across the region. Also, as we're saying
the consequences of them being there because we want to show
the word that Iranian people are peaceful people as we have
been since 2500 years ago till now. And we are also want to get
rid of them. So anytime after what has happened during
January and this law through the master massacre that happened
in Iran and more than 40,000 people died in just two days. We
just want to be their worries and any chance anytime and anywhere
you're trying to be there. And the good thing was that LA and
Los Angeles is one of the main centers of Iranian communities
outside of Iran, more than two or three millions Iranians are
living here. And also there are a lot of Iranians in around the
US. So they all try to be there not only inside a stadium, but
also if they didn't have any tickets, they could send outside
of the stadium and trying to show the real flag of Iran and
trying to chance for Iranians and trying to be their worries
and talking about what has happened during the January, the
two days that the British regime blocked down the whole country
and even during the war, they were in black that black down and
no internet, nothing in 2000, 2006 for Iranians. So we just want
to inform everyone. We want to say that what has happened, I
don't know, during the world war or any autobiographical course
of history, the same thing has happened to Iranians right now
in Iran. And also, there are a lot of things that are happening
in other countries, although we are seeing them as our friend
countries, but there are a lot of bad things that are so
happening today. I mean, like Lebanon or Kuwait or Emirates
any other country there is seeing all the consequences of
IRGC being in power. So that that's the main thing that we do
even during the time of FIFA. We are also seeing that political
for ourselves because we are in constant war and the
negotiation, argument and all of these things, until the time
the IRGCs and power has no meaning for any Iranians.
Thank you. And we are recording, right? Okay. Well, I want to
start by asking you, what kind of relief you feel that there is
an agreement over this war that could be over?
As I mentioned, Iranians are in constant war, while the IRGC is
in power. And the IRGC has repeatedly failed in any
agreement with any country, with any group or community. So
that's why for Iranians, there is no longer hope or believing in
any agreements that is done by these people. We do not trust
them. We do not believe in them. And we are not seeing any
progress because for 47 years, they have shown themselves. So
we also do not believe that it's a real agreement. And we do not
think that it's a thing able for them. They also saying in their
official television, that every agreement or any negotiations
with other countries, especially you would say Israel is a piece
of paper for them. I think that's the only truth that they
always mentioned. Yeah, that is it for them. And we do not
believe that it's going to change anything. Maybe we are not
saying anything going back in 24 hours right now. But in a
couple of months or a couple of years, we'll see everything
we're coming back to the same spot that we have been before
the agreement. So there is no change.
Through the course of this war, with the US and Israel and Iran,
how did the Iranian people fare?
It was a roller coaster for all of us, because it's not acceptable
to see your country being bombed or being under strikes. But at
the same time, the wireless thing that I've heard from many
Iranians is that we are even okay with that. If the day after
bombing or strikes, we see free Iran and there is no IRGC
and they toppled. So that was the only thing that we were looking
for. Although we were all full of fear, we were all worried about
our family members, relatives, there have been a lot of
lives that lost. But we were thinking that we are always
paying all of the cost for this as the IRGC is paying any
cost for just being in power. So we were hoping that after
that, maybe they can get weakened or they can be stopped or we
can get rid of them by killing a lot of main top levels of the
IRGC. But right now, I think after all of the things and
complications that has happened, they got even more confident
because they faced the war with Israel and United States. I
cannot call any other country who is more powerful in military
services or powers in this kind of matter. But now they say
that we won over Israel, we won over United States. So I think
the worst thing that I could see after the war was seeing them
getting more confident. That's the worst thing that I could see.
As you watched it from afar and had loved ones inside Iran, what
did you think about how the war unfolded through the weeks?
Yeah, I mean, emotionally or about the what matter and what
perspectives have you been emotionally you did describe it
as a as a roller coaster, but also kind of tactically, you
know, and you spoke to that as well about how Iran is not
likely to uphold this agreement. But what did you think about
the way it went down?
I'm as a person who lives also in United States and I'm also a
taxpayer for more than five years. And saying a lot of American
friends around me and talking with them and also autoray running
Americans. After that, the argument that has happened and
that we have heard that there are going to be a lot of money that
they're going to get after this agreement. I don't know whether
it's right or wrong, but considering that they are getting
the money and they're getting another fund. So they get more
power financially as well. So they're able to do everything
that they have done. And if there was anything that they had to
step back now, they're more powerful to step in and continue
that, for example, for having a lot of factories of missiles. And
they had a lot of places that I can I did not have any idea about
that after till after the war that a lot of information came out.
So they can do that. They can put all the proxies in Lebanon,
Israel, Iraq and Palestine and all of those places. They just keep
going on with that. So it unfolded a lot of things in that
matter after the negotiation. And also after the war, we realized
that because we see you on a very wealthy country, it is a
wealthy country, it has oil gas, a lot of things, you call it
they have it. And we were saying that the people are struggling
with poverty, fluctuations, a lot of things. And after the war,
we got a lot of information about how they have built a lot of
factories in the mountain in a lot of places, just having the
factories of missiles, a lot of things. So it could tell us
that where the money would go. So they had the money, the use
dot. And at the same time, right now, we're saying they get
another funds. So it scares me, honestly, as an Iranian. And
also, we as Iranians, we warn all the word and that the threat
of IRGC is not just for inside Iran, but also it happens for
other countries and across the region, as we saw during the war,
it was not just between Israel and Iran or between you as an
Iran. We saw other countries across the region, they faced
it, even in Kuwait, even in Bahrain, in other countries, they
had a strike. So it shows the real face. So I think it's just
saying how they reacted and how they're doing and what they
have done, just tells the whole story. So I don't, I don't
understand how we can call something like an agreement with
these people.
So given all of that, the provisions of the agreement about
the money that it accrues to Iran, where does that leave the
resistance inside Iran and outside the people?
We are full of hope. It has been for 47 years. I mean, I'm not
the generation at the time that they were protesting or
fighting against IRGC. I'm the second generation of that. And
I know the third generation are right now joining us everywhere,
even in social media, TikTok, Instagram. So I don't see that
anyone has lost their hope. We are full of hope because we
reread the history. There's no dictatorship that they can last
long. They can be there forever. And at the same time, it's so
confusing for us because we see that they faced Israel and USA
and still are there. I don't have any education about the
military service and all of these kind of things. But at the
same time, thinking that if Israel and USA didn't could not or
they didn't want or didn't have the chance to stop them or weaken
them, what can I expect from my people bare hands? So the only
thing is trying to show the world has what is happening inside
Iran and reporting everyone who is imprisoned, who is lost, who
is killed. And just to not try to not stop it. And I'm saying
people inside are super brave. I mean, even the youngest one at
the 1413, they're imprisoned, but they're still not stopping
saying what they're thinking of and how they're against the
regime and how they're against the dictatorship. I don't think
that they're going to stop, especially inside Iran. And we
get all of this trends from people inside Iran, how they are
trying so hard, even when they were under black out, how they
could get to the internet. I mean, so hard, they were doing their
best just to get connections with outside of Iran and trying
to be in continued communicate with all of us and telling what
is happening inside Iran. So I don't see those people going to
stop at any time or anytime in the future until they're seeing
that I already see it's gone. So it's the same for us outside
of Iran. We're not going to stop at we're we're literally
protesting and going outside and chanting every weekend. Every
city, we do have a group of people that are trying to be their
voice. And it hasn't stopped since January. And I don't think
this guy to stop ever till we're seeing them gone.
Is there anything you'd like to add on this?
I want just a people around the word to see the reality and
try to stand with Iranian people. It's just it's what we want is
our freedom and dignity. And it's something that should be
supported. And they're seeing the human rights for Iranian
people. So do not to stand with IRGC and do not let the
terrorism group to tell you what's going on and they are having
power over anything, even the price of oil and gas. I don't
want to see that happening in any other places in the whole
word. And that's the only thing that's going to help the to have
a better word, a word without IRGC.
So I'm just going to back up there a little bit. And you said
that your hope is that people see the reality. What is the
reality? Reality is that Iranian people are peaceful people.
There are there are so much into human rights. And there are
brave people. They are doing their best for everyone, even
they want peace for everyone around the Middle East that
they're facing. Right now, although we were under a lot of
heart attacks, I mean, like strikes inside Iran and we had a
lot of relatives there. But at the same time, seeing amarets and
Kuwait and Lebanon being under strike, just because of IRGC
was really breaking our hearts. We could not stop thinking about
other people as well. So the reality is that we're just not
seeing the humanity just inside Iran. But also we are seeing
that in everywhere. And also we are worried about other
countries, not only just the Middle East. So we are trying to
warn the whole world. We don't want to see the day that they're
getting closer to other places and other countries. That's what
really matters to all of us.
Anything you want to add? No, I just want to confirm. Can you
pronounce your first and last name and how to spell it?
Yes, Zora, Z-A-R-A, in factory, F-A-K-H-R-I.
And then can you just make sure we have the right kind of
information about you? Are you still a PhD student? Is that
right? Yeah, I'm a PhD and also teaching undergrads at UWM and
Business School.
Oh, good for you. Thank you.
Yeah, well, you know, it strikes me and I don't want to keep it
too much longer because you're generous with your time. But
the strikes may have stopped, may have stopped. But that
isn't... I mean, that's good, right? But it's...
That's what I'm saying. Some of the things that we are
talking as Iranians, I believe that no Lincoln and
Bruce Senate unless they're Iranian, and I do feel them
because you don't want to strike for anywhere in this word. It
doesn't make sense. But if you see that this strike goes to
kill those people and weaken that terrorist activities, yes, you
want that. That's how we're saying that. But based on the
news that I'm following, we do have a lot of local channels that
there are people from inside Iran that they're reforming people
outside of Iran. There are a lot of things that still go
and gone into the southern part to be run, and they have heard a
lot of... I mean, some strikes going on in the southern part
like at the Geshm Island and the southern city. So I'm not
sure what's going on and no one is sure. But we're just hearing
from locals at what's happening and what they're hearing. So I
don't think it's going to be stopped anytime soon.
It might be on pause. That's what I'm saying that, but it will
be continued very fast because the people that we are
negotiating with and the people that are on the other side,
they do not want anything and their determination
do anything at any cost just to preserve the power there.
So they do anything. So there is no stop.
Are you feeling relieved that you can speak to your family now
without hurdles or barriers?
Honestly, they opened a blackout on 26th of May after almost
90 days, but the internet is still so slow
there. However, it's the basic thing that you were asking to
have. I mean, the minimum is to be able to call your family
inside Iran, just be an internet. That's the bare minimum.
But yeah, as a bare minimum, yes, we are happy that right now
the blackout is over for now.
Well, thank you for your insights. It's really important.
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
So I can update you when we have this on our program
and I can send you the link and you have my phone number.
So just text me if you have any questions.
Many thanks.
Feel free to reach out to me at any time.
Thank you.
Have a great night.
Thank you.
Bye.
Thank you.