TORONTO — Iranian dissident Sana Ebrahimi has condemned what she described as the hypocrisy of Western feminist activists, accusing them of ignoring the brutal oppression of Iranian women while lending moral support to a regime currently engaged in open conflict with Israel.
Her remarks come in the aftermath of Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities earlier this month. The strikes, prompted by findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran had escalated its nuclear program in violation of international agreements, triggered a direct war between Israel and Iran. Tehran has since launched ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli cities, killing dozens of civilians and wounding hundreds.
Amid this violence, Ebrahimi delivered a pointed critique of Western activists who claim to support human rights while overlooking Iran’s internal abuses. “Today, we Iranians are faced with something truly unbelievable,” she wrote. “Western, liberal, ‘woke’ feminists, clueless about the brutal reality in our country, consistently stand with our oppressors under the delusion of saviorism.”
International human rights groups have long documented Iran’s harsh treatment of women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Iran enforces strict dress codes, arrests women for removing headscarves, and punishes same-sex relations with imprisonment or death. The regime has been widely condemned for its response to the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Ebrahimi argued that many Western activists adopt a paternalistic view of Middle Eastern societies, one that excuses authoritarianism under the guise of cultural respect.
“They look at Iranians and other ‘brown people’ as too backward, too uncivilized, too dumb to deserve real freedom or democracy. In their eyes, we’re wild animals, only manageable under tyranny.”
Her message arrives during a time of heightened global attention on Iran’s role not only in regional instability, but also in its treatment of its citizens. Ebrahimi’s criticism echoes sentiments voiced by Jewish and pro-Israel groups who have long argued that many Western protest movements apply double standards, singling out Israel while excusing far more egregious violations by regimes like Iran’s.
“This kind of selective outrage only emboldens tyrants,” said a spokesperson for B’nai Brith Canada. “Iranian women are fighting for basic freedoms, freedoms that Israel guarantees to all its citizens, regardless of gender, religion, or sexuality.”
Israel remains the only democracy in the Middle East with full legal protections for women and minorities. As the war between Israel and Iran unfolds, analysts have stressed the need for consistent support of universal human rights, particularly in the face of authoritarian violence.
Ebrahimi concluded by rejecting what she sees as moral grandstanding by activists who refuse to speak honestly about the Islamic Republic.
“We are the ones fighting for real freedom, the same freedom they weaponize to silence us. And we want absolutely nothing to do with their hypocrisy.”
This article is based on verified information from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’nai Brith Canada, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and public statements by Sana Ebrahimi.
While the focus of your reporting is very important there is one point you made that I have to disagree with in your statement that Israel is the only Democracy that protects women and minorities. There are currently 65 laws that blatantly discriminate against Israeli born Palestinians living in Israel and the occupied West Bank. One such law: The Ban on Family Unification – introduced as an emergency regulation in 2003 following the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000 – prevents family unification when one spouse is an Israeli citizen and the other is a resident of the occupied territories. This law is also discriminatory toward married women and their children. So I find it biased to not acknowledge these discrepancies. There are roads that Palestinians can’t travel, certain public fountains the can’t drink from because of their heritage, there are schools they can’t attend… on and on.