We are Mahsa Amini! Interview with Iranian climber Nasim Eshqi

Nasim, where are you right now?
At the moment I'm with friends in Italy. I don't want to have to censor myself anymore. That's why, after a climbing trip to France, I decided not to return to Iran

Was this a spontaneous decision based on the current situation?
No, this is the result of a longer process. But of course the events in Iran play a role. It was time for me to make up my mind.

And how are you?
Usually when I'm in Europe I only see rocks, nothing else. I travel, go climbing, move from one area to another, that's all I do. Ever since Mahsa Amini was killed though, everything has changed. Climbing has lost its meaning to me at the moment. I feel like I could have been her. I’ve been arrested before in Iran, I’ve been in the same custody, I was screamed at and insulted. That was a few years ago, and for a long time after that I didn't dare leave the house. And that is exactly what the regime wants.

Unfortunately, many Iranian women have had to experience this.
Yes, and we all feel like we are Mahsa Amini. It's a terrible feeling of powerlessness. That's why it's so important for me to give Iranian women a voice. I'm on the phone non-stop to communicate and use social media. Our government is brutally attacking its own people. In Europe, one is proud of young people who study. In Tehran, students at Sharif University were surrounded, threatened and beaten by the police and Basij, a paramilitary militia. It’s like a war. It's unbelievable, crazy and just plain sad.

How do you find out about the local situation?
The protests have been going on for about three weeks now, and the internet was blocked a good ten days ago. But there are ways to bypass censorship and send messages. I get a lot of messages and try to spread them as widely as possible using the hashtag #mahsaamini. The regime is trying to silence us, but they won't be able to do it. What is taking place in Iran right now is not a harmless uprising, it is a revolution fuelled by the fight for women's rights.

How do the current protests in Iran differ from previous ones, such as the 1999 student riots or the Green Movement of 2009?
The repression exercised by the regime has grown much stronger in recent years. I think that's why solidarity among the population is much greater today. And the younger generation is much braver. The protests are being carried out by all classes, all ethnic groups. There is not one leader, the entire nation is on the streets. People are fed up with having to conform to any old rules all the time.

Especially when these violate personal rights so massively...
It's always nice to see how freely people can move around Europe. They can choose who they want to be, what they want to become, what gender they want to belong to. In Iran, there are no such opportunities. If you are queer in Iran, you will be executed.

How will this situation develop do you think?
We will have to make more sacrifices. Freedom doesn't come for free. But we need the support of western governments and societies. Politicians must recognise the importance of what is happening in Iran at the moment, and not just with their words. Iran's elites must be sanctioned. Many children and relatives of the religious and secular rulers live in the West, where they enjoy the privileges that are denied to the people of my country. This is paradoxical and must be stopped. It may take a long time, but we will win, I am sure. We women can achieve anything. If we can bring children into the world, then everything else is possible.

Have the protests developed a critical mass? Can they become dangerous to the regime?
The courage and bravery of Iranian women cannot be overlooked or ignored. They get beaten, they risk their lives, but they continue their dissent. Women are leading the protests, and that scares the mullahs. Self-determined women are the basis of a free society. They can raise their children to be free people.

How can the climbing community support the fight for freedom and human rights in Iran?
We must give the protests a voice. Everyone can get informed and spread their knowledge. No one should be able to say they didn't know anything about what was happening in Iran.

This interview has been republished with kind permission of Tom Dauer. It was originally published on 05/10/2022 on www.alpenfilmfestival.de/wir-sind-mahsa-amini/

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