Iran: UCC medical student cut off from her family despairs at the killing of protesters
UCC medical student Shadi Mahjoum said: 'I am grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had but those people who lost their lives in Iran could have been me.' Picture: Larry Cummins
Since an internet blackout was imposed in Iran on January 8, Shadi Mahjoum, a medical student at University College Cork, has been robbed of any contact with her family.
The 28-year-old is heartbroken at being denied the comfort of her mother’s voice as part of efforts to veil the country’s “murderous regime”.
It should be an exciting time in Ms Mahjoum’s life as she prepares to graduate from university in May.
However, such milestones only serve as a reminder of the freedom her friends back home have missed out on.
“I was lucky enough to pursue medicine in Ireland,” she said.
“Of course, I am grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had but those people who lost their lives in Iran could have been me.
“They could have had a bright future. Instead, they lost their lives for a greater good and our children’s future.”
At least 12,000 people are believed to have been killed for participating in the recent demonstrations in Iran.
The death toll is expected to rise exponentially as the violent crackdown on protestors continues.
The unrest began back in December when protesters took to the streets to voice their outrage about issues including rising inflation which has left many struggling to afford the most basic of items.
Iranian citizens are amplifying calls for the removal of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the cleric and politician who has served as the supreme leader of Iran since 1989.
Ms Mahjoum confessed to feeling helpless. She said:
“They don’t want the world to see what’s really happening. We have to show the world that this is a massacre and that action needs to be taken. There is still little or no news coming out from the people on the streets of Iran.”
She says people often ask her if her family is OK.
“I tell them that my family is made of 90m people and ‘no, they are not OK’.
“Sure, I care about my loved ones but when I see these pictures of young people of 19 or 20 getting killed on the streets it breaks my heart because these are my brothers and sisters.
“I carry that every day. It is part of my identity. It is part of what I live for.
“Every day I feel helpless. I wake up with that helplessness and go to sleep with it.”
She says the lives of Iranians living abroad are not normal.
“Most people don’t walk down the street with constant thoughts of people being shot or murdered.
“It’s a crisis that has been going for 47 years. People have their own problems to worry about, which is fair.
“As an Iranian living abroad, I have my own personal problems but this is not my priority. My priority now is to do everything in my power to save lives.”
Delays to the execution of protestor Erfan Soltani who was arrested in recent days have fuelled Ms Mahjoum’s hopes for change.
The family of 26-year-old Mr Soltani had been informed of his planned execution — only for it to be rescheduled after a groundswell of support for the activist.
“They were going to execute this man until people started screaming his name on social media and his execution got postponed," says Shadi Mahjoum.
"It just goes to show that people have power and they can use their voice to put the regime under pressure. People can find different ways to scream to show the world what we are fighting for.”
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