This is not my voice: This is the voice of Zhina Amini

Laya Hooshyari gave this speech in Farsi at the Sunday demonstration in Manchester, unleashing a hostile reaction from the monarchists.

 

This is not my voice 

This is the voice of Zhina Amini, a young woman killed by the Hijab Police

This is not my voice

This is the voice of Zakariya khial, a teenager killed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards

This is not my voice

This is the voice of Minoo Majidi, a woman killed by the executioners of Islamic Republic in Kermanshah

This is not the voice of one person

This is the voice of millions of Iranians

This is the voice of struggle

This is the voice of Revolution

And not only the voice of revolution in Iran

This is the voice of women’s struggle all over the globe

This is the voice of Kurdish women

This is the voice of Afghan women who still fight under the Taliban Regime

This is the voice of women of Yemen, Lebanon, and Palestine

But this is not only the voice of middle-eastern women

This is the voice of Latin American Women

And North American women who, again, are fighting for the rights to abortion

This is the voice of Sarah, the British woman killed by police

This is the voice of Ukrainian women who are fighting against a fascist invader 

This is the voice of African women

This is the voice of Indian women

And not only the voice of women

This is the voice of all sexes and genders

This is the voice of queer society

This is the voice of Sareh Sedighi, a queer activist who is in danger of execution

And not only the voice of queer communities

This is the voice of workers

This is the voice of the urban poor

The subaltern

This is the voice of all marginalized communities in the world 

This is the voice of strike in Kurdistan

This is the voice of striking workers all over Britain

This voice points to the chains that shackle our feet and hands

This is the voice demanding to awaken our minds

The voice that wants to get rid of any form of oppression

To dismantle oppression and exploitation

This is OUR voice

This is OUR voice

We don’t expect solidarity from the British State, because it is part of the oppression itself

We want solidarity and help from our comrades 

Since, more than anytime, we need international solidarity

Without international solidarity we are alone

In the situation that the Islamic Republic is killing people and shutting down the internet 

In the situation that the Islamic Republic is arresting our comrades and torturing them

We have to raise our voice

Our voice should be reached to all the oppressed

Should be heard on every street

So that we all be emancipated from oppression

Since we have nothing to lose but our chains 

Solidarity!

A report on what followed after this speech is here

Laya Hooshyari speaking to the crowd in Manchester today (25/09).

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Laya Hooshyari is an Iranian activist.

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