The protests in Iran that erupted last year called for an ouster of the ruling regime there, headed by the Supreme Leader, demanding a return of a ‘secular’ Iran. The country has been an Islamic Republic for close to five decades since the Shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution. The recent assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the US and Israel has sparked divisive reactions within the country, with many celebrating his death and others protesting.
Elnaaz Norouzi says people want democracy in Iran
Actor Elnaaz Norouzi, who was born in Iran and raised in Europe, says the current regime must go and pave the way for a secular country, the way Iran was for centuries. In an interview with Bombay Times, the Sacred Games-fame actor said Iran must not be mistaken for just the present regime.
She said, “Iran is complex. What the Islamic Republic has done in Iran is not just create one Nicolás Maduro or Saddam Hussein. There is the supreme leader, (the late Khamenei), there are people and parties under him – Hezbollah, there is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), there is the Basij. They support and back the Houthis, Hamas. They are all intertwined. The Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose name is being chanted all over Iran. People want democracy in Iran. The Gen Z knows exactly what’s right for them. The older generation, our grandparents say they made a mistake years ago by asking for regime change. ‘We had it so good during the times of Shah. It was secular and diverse,’ they say.”
‘Iran wasn’t just for Muslims’
Elnaaz talks about the history of Iran to when it used to be the Persian Empire and reminds that it was never an Islamic country. “For the past 40 years, a large population of Iranians go to sleep and wake up hoping that one day they are going to be freed from this regime. Just like in India, Iran had people from different religions, cultures and communities living there. It was diverse. Iran was never an Islamic country, it was largely Zoroastrian. Iran was Persia, and Persia was Eurasian. Before the Arabs came in, Christians, Baha’is, and Russian expatriates lived in Iran. It wasn’t just for Muslims. You had the freedom to wear what you want to wear, say what you want to say. Iran needs democracy to go back to those times,” the actor added.
All about Elnaaz
Elnaaz was born in Iran in the early 90s, but moved to Germany with her family when she was 8. She began her modelling career in Europe before moving to India in her 20s. After her breakthrough role with Sacred Games in 2017, she appeared in shows such as Abhay, Made in Heaven, and Hai Junoon, as well as films such as Jugjugg Jeeyo and Mastii 4. In 2023, she made her Hollywood debut in Kandahar, appearing alongside Gerard Butler and Ali Fazal.
