Iran is in perhaps its greatest crises since the 1979 revolution. Protests sparked by corruption, and the regime’s economic mismanagement, escalated into an uprising. Forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, responded with force, resulting in arrests, torture, and deaths. Amidst a blackout designed to isolate protesters and conceal atrocities, reports suggest at least 12,000 deaths, though the numbers are likely higher.
Women defying laws on the hijab, students demanding change, and workers striking against exploitation have become symbols of resistance, echoing the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprisings.
Campuses that erupted in demonstrations over rights in Gaza or “climate justice” host few, if any, events for people in Iran.
This tragedy unfolds against a backdrop of silence from universities, celebrities, and influencers who have rallied for causes. Campuses that erupted in demonstrations over rights in Gaza or “climate justice” host few, if any, events for people in Iran. Figures like actors Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon, advocates for justice in Gaza, have offered no commentary on the crackdown in Tehran. Activists such as Greta Thunberg and Angelina Jolie, known for championing rights and issues on women, have remained mute, prompting questions about compassion.
This reticence is not oversight; it stems from tensions. Progressives hesitate to criticize a regime, fearing accusations of Islamophobia or alignment with imperialism.
As activist Masih Alinejad charged at the United Nations on January 15, 2026, this is a “silence” that betrays victims by prioritizing narratives over rights. The left’s focus on policies in the U.S. and Israel frames Muslims as victims of forces, sidelining oppression like brutality in Iran. Writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali has noted that avoidance perpetuates “racism,” trapping peoples in stereotypes of backwardness. Outlets, from the BBC to NPR, sometimes platforming Iranian officials, amplifying this hypocrisy.
Consequences exist. This silence emboldens the regime, isolating protesters who risk everything for liberty without conquest. It undermines the credibility of advocacy, exposing a hierarchy where causes fitting frames—like Palestine—garner outrage but struggle in Iran does not. As dissident Samira Mohyeddin observes, dismissing Iranians as “puppets” ignores their agency and aids oppressors. History shows that solidarity can pressure regimes; its absence betrays values.
Progressives must confront their inconsistencies: Advocacy for the oppressed cannot be selective.
For policymakers, this demands action beyond rhetoric. Designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and imposing sanctions on elites could provide support without intervention. Progressives must confront their inconsistencies: Advocacy for the oppressed cannot be selective. Ignoring the fight in Iran risks not only lives but the erosion of rights and principles.
As the uprising persists, the world must choose: Stand with people in Iran or be complicit. Ignorance is no excuse. Human Rights Watch documents repression of dissent, protests, and defenders in Iran, alongside persecution of Baha’is. Amnesty International likewise offers details of violations in Iran, including violence against women, girls, LGBTQ+ people, minorities, Baha’is and refugees; detentions, trials, disappearances, torture, flogging, and amputation, all conducted with impunity.
Analysis by Yascha Mounk, an academic who writes frequently on democracy, brings attention to the silence of progressives on protests in Iran. He argues that many on the left prioritize viewing their societies as the root of evil, leading to a demonology where opposition to powers in the West is good and results in silence on protests in Iran for freedom and the rights of women.
History will judge not only the oppressors in Tehran but also those who chose silence.
