Fellow Member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, Roja Bandari, spoke at the CSUN Vigil organized for Esha on November 12
Esha is a part of two communities; her community here at CSUN and her community in Iran where she grew up. Esha's work was going to bring these two communities just a tiny bit closer by correcting some stereotypes. Her thesis was going to bring a real image of Iranian women who are not weak and passive victims, but strong, intelligent and resilient; and an image of young Iranian men who are not chauvinistic bullies but friends and advocates for equality. We all know that Esha has not broken any law, she wasn't part of a grand scheme, nor was she doing anything to threaten any government. She has not done anything wrong and that's why we stood up for her.
Maybe through this terrible experience, we can still learn to come closer and make that human connection. Maybe struggling together for Esha's freedom can teach us a little about those who were in her film. The people she interviewed did not remain merely the subject of her thesis. They became her advocates after she was arrested. Just like we stood up for Esha here, they stood up for her in Iran. So maybe all is not lost if we try to learn about the people she interviewed for her project.
The morning she was arrested, Esha was on her way to interview Delaram. Delaram is a 25-year old social worker who has worked tirelessly for the rights of children and women. Parvin, the person Esha called when she was pulled over, won Sweden's prestigious Olof Palme prize last year for her work in women's rights. But she was not allowed to leave the country to receive her award. Another woman Esha interviewed is Ms. Moghaddam, who gathered other mothers in the women's movement after Esha's arrest and visited her family to offer support. Ms. Moghaddam, Parvin, and Delaram have all spent time in jail and have charges similar to Esha's. Just like Alice Paul and other women were jailed in the US 90 years ago for demanding votes for women, advocates of equality are under pressure in Iran. Learning about their struggle and standing in solidarity with them can make a difference.
Below is a citizen media report about organizing the vigil:
