As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East, the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has once again placed the spotlight on Iran and the realities faced by its people. Over the past week, military strikes, retaliatory attacks, and growing geopolitical tensions have drawn global concern as the situation in the region continues to unfold. While the conflict dominates international headlines, conversations about human rights inside Iran have also resurfaced - particularly regarding the lived experiences of women under strict social regulations. The death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 had already ignited global outrage and protests against Iran’s morality policing system, highlighting the risks many women face in their daily lives.
In an interview with The Free Press Journal, Iranian actress Elnaaz Norouzi, who was born and raised in Iran before moving to Germany and later establishing a career in India, spoke about these realities. Norouzi recalled her own encounter with Iran’s morality police and explained why she continues to speak openly about the issue despite concerns from those close to her.
Norouzi shares her own experience with the morality police and highlights how the situation is far more frightening for women who continue to live in Iran. “For me personally, when I was taken by the morality police, I think I was already at a stage in my life where I was mentally very strong. I had already gone through a lot in life, so I told myself that I know how to handle this situation and that I am going to come out of it fine. That confidence also came from the fact that I knew I was a German citizen. I knew I would be fine and that I would eventually get out of it. I was leaving the next day and flying to Germany, so I knew this situation would not happen to me again and that I would be safe."
The actress further says, "But I kept thinking about all the other girls and women who live there and have to face this constantly. When they took me, they made sure to take pictures of me from my profile along with my name, similar to how they do it in jail. They keep a record of you and track how often you are taken in. They are not tolerant. We know what happened with Mahsa Amini - she was killed. And it is not just Mahsa Amini. There are many other names, many other women who have suffered. There are millions of women who have lived under this oppression their entire lives. To imagine what that feels like — that every time you step out of your house, you do not know whether you might be taken away - is heartbreaking.”
When asked whether she feels afraid speaking so openly about Iran today, Norouzi says she sees it as a responsibility rather than a risk. “I see a lot of people worrying about me, especially my parents and friends around me. But honestly, I do not have that fear. I feel like maybe this is what I was meant to do in this life - to shed some light on the wrongdoings that are happening in the country where I was born. I could have been born somewhere else. I could have been somebody else. Maybe God wanted me to be born there, and then live in India and become a public figure here so that I could use my voice to educate people about what is happening in that country. Maybe that is my purpose. And I feel it would be very stupid not to use your voice to help other human beings.”
