1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Now. Tomorrow, New Zealand will join countless other countries for 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: a global Day of Action for Iran. Tens of thousands 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: have been killed in anti regime demonstrations in Iran, and 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: activists say all they want is democracy. Barrissa, Solicitor and 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: Iranian New Zealander Samaria Tagavia is with me. 6 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: Hi, Samira, Hi, Heather, thank you for having me. 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: Now. Look, I'm going to be honest with you. I 8 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: get about I reckon it would be about four or 9 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: five emails from you guys every day reminding me that 10 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: this is on tomorrow. This is a big deal for you. Am. 11 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, it's very very important for the Iranian community, 12 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 2: and I have to say also for the New Zealand 13 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 2: community to come and support us tomorrow. Just on that note, 14 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 2: we are going to be starting at eleven am from 15 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: Britamar to Myers Park and then we will be joined 16 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 2: by the Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour and the Chief 17 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: Human Rights Commissioner, Doctor Rainbow, who will be addressing us 18 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: and Heather. I think it's really important for you to 19 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: know why what's happening in Iran right now is genuinely historic. 20 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: This is a revolution, this is the first time. Iran 21 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: has seen a lot of protest movement before, and this 22 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: revolution is very different because for the first time there's 23 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 2: a recognized opposition leader, Crown Prince Pallaby, who's got a 24 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: clear democratic roadmap. And what we're trying to achieve here 25 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 2: as part of this global action and also from the government, 26 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: is to have the IRGC, which is Islamic revolution, which 27 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: is Islamic I always get it wrong, Islamic Revolutionary Guard 28 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: Corps as to designate as a terrorist group, Heather, because 29 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 2: you saw what's happened in Australia last year, so they waited. 30 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: Okay, do you still have hope that this so called 31 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: revolution is going to work? Because I mean, and you 32 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: can tell me if I'm wrong, but the last I saw, 33 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: it's been cracked down on and people have been killed 34 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: and it's over. 35 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 2: Oh no, absolutely not. I completely disagree with that. It's going. 36 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: It's going very very strong. Unfortunately, every day we see 37 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: so many more deaths. We've got now more than fifty 38 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 2: five thousand civilians being killed, over four hundred thousand being injured, minded, lawyers, doctors, 39 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: everyone being arrested and executed in the past three weeks. 40 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: Not everyone but of course the ones some of the protesters, 41 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: so it's absolutely not dying down. We're not giving up, 42 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: are the opposition leader. That's why he has asked for 43 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 2: this global action tomorrow, just to remind the world and 44 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: the Iranians actually the revolution is ongoing. 45 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: Okay. The Crown Prince is an interest and interesting figurehead 46 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: in this because he is not all I mean not 47 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: everyone will see him as the ideal opposition leader, will. 48 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 2: They Most people inside in Iran and outside Iran have 49 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 2: accepted him as an oppositional leader, as an opposition leader 50 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: and someone who can lead the revolution into who can 51 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 2: lead Iran into a democratic society. He's not after monarchy. 52 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: That's really important to actually mention here. 53 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: But other people are. I mean, there are calls to 54 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: bring back the Shah. 55 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 2: Oh, He's not going to give into that. He's got 56 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 2: a very clear roadmap. He's got a prosperity plan, He's 57 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: got three stages as how he will lead Iran into 58 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 2: a democratic society. He has said over and over again 59 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: that he's after a referendum and he wants the people 60 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 2: of Iran to make a decision for their own country. 61 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: So I don't believe it for a second that those 62 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: extremists who are saying that he wants monarchy, I completely 63 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 2: disagree with that. This is not what he wants. That's 64 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: why we accept him as an opposition leader, and that's 65 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: why we respect him. He's done a brilliant job so far, 66 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: and he will have our support moving forward. 67 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: Are you frustrated by the lack of coverage that you 68 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: are getting, and not just you, but the entire situation 69 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: in this country? 70 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: Oh? Absolutely, But I'm not surprised hither because you've seen 71 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: in the past two and a half years, you know, 72 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 2: the whole coverage of pro Palestine. Okay, I think media 73 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: is absolutely terrified of covering the Iran situation because, as 74 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: I said recently in an article, as soon as they 75 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: start talking about Iran, people start accusing them of Islamophobia, 76 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 2: which is completely an intellectually lazy, and morally evasive. That's 77 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 2: why the Trent is not a comfortable topic for them 78 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: to support Ran. 79 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: So you're are you are you telling me that there 80 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: is there has been, there is an overlap that's developed 81 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: between the situation in Gaza and the situation in Iran 82 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: that you think is repelling the media from covering it. 83 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: Absolutely because pro Palestine people. If you look at the 84 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 2: pro Palestine people around the world, they carry the photo 85 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: of the Islamic Republic leader who is a murderer, who's 86 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 2: a terrorist from our point of view, but they're supporting that. 87 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: So that's why media is trying to stay away from it, 88 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: because it doesn't match their ideology. And that's what's really 89 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 2: kind of annoying the Iranian community here because this is 90 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 2: far from Islamophobia, and I reject that entirely. 91 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: I totally agree with you. That's a pretty simple view 92 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: of the world, doesn't it. Listen, Samira, absolutely, yeah, beast 93 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: of luck with tomorrow, and thanks very much for coming 94 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: on and having a chat to us about it. That 95 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: Samir Takavi, who's a barrister, solicitor and an Iranian part 96 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 1: of the protest tomorrow. For more from hither to Lis'sene 97 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks it B from 98 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.