As the Persian New Year approaches, Siavash + I hosted a Chaharshanbe Suri event at Masquerade and we were honored that Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined our pained Iranian community.
We had poetry, music, food, and stories of Iranians immigrants from all perspectives. We spoke about the devastation of 47 years of a theocratic dictatorship including the IRI-backed massacre of Jan 8+9. And we also spoke about the fear of Western powers bombing our homeland, just like they’ve done for generations.
And Mayor Mamdani listened to us.
He listened to Iranian-New Yorkers giving their perspectives of the tragedies happening there, as well as the ones happening here. In the Mayor’s closing remarks, he spoke to a fragile community with so much care and grace, and finished by saying, “Be omideh azadi” or “With the hope of freedom”.
Numerous Iranians and Iranian-New Yorkers spoke about how good it was to gather, and be heard, especially in a time when we need it most. In these times of pain, all we can do is get together and be with each other. That love is what will conquer hate.
Be Omideh Azadi
به امید آزادی
Photos by Julia Khoroshilov
@jkhoroshilov 
