EndJewHatred hosts NYC rally in support of Iranian protesters, other Jewish groups express solidarity

The rally included a performance by Iranian Jewish singer Ghazal Mizrahi and speeches by several faith leaders.

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

#EndJewHatred, the international grassroots civil rights movement, hosted a rally outside the office of the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York City on Thursday night to express solidarity with Iranians amid the crackdown on anti-government protesters in the Islamic Republic.

Demonstrators from various faiths held American, Iranian, and Israeli flags, while some others held signs that read “Free Iran” and “Jews for a Free Iran.”

Rallygoers also chanted in English, “Free Iran,” and in Farsi, “This is our last fight, Pahlavi will return,” referring to Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah of Iran.

Pahlavi is in exile in the US, but many Iranians support his return to become the leader of Iran. The exact level of support for Pahlavi is difficult to gauge.

Protesters on Thursday also chanted in Farsi, “Long Live Shah.” Welcome Reza Pahlavi,” as well as “Death to the dictator” and “Khamenei is a murderer,” in reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The rally included a performance by Iranian Jewish singer Ghazal Mizrahi and speeches by several faith leaders, including Pakistani-American Muslim women’s rights activist Anila Ali. Michelle Ahdoot, the director of programming and strategy at #EndJewHatred, is a first-generation Iranian-American whose parents, husband, and in-laws were all born in Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution and forced to flee the country.

“It was a flourishing democracy pre-1979,” Ahdoot said of Iran.

“What is it now is not okay … We are here tonight, an interfaith showing, people from all different backgrounds, all of us here to restore democracy. All of us are united with the same message: The ideology that is there [in Iran] kills, and we won’t stand for it anymore.”

“To speak up is our responsibility. It is time to raise our voices and stand with the people of this world. To stand with humanity. Enough is enough. Down with the Islamic regime,” said Mizrahi in a speech during the rally.

“Bring back the beautiful Iran. The country of color, of lively spices, of rich cultural music. It’s time to bring back our country.”

The protests that erupted in Iran on Dec. 28 initially focused on economic issues—including inflation, unemployment, and low wages—but quickly morphed into demonstrations against the country’s Islamist, authoritarian regime, political corruption, and lack of freedom and human rights in the country.

Two sources, including one inside Iran, told CBS News on Tuesday that at least 12,000 and possibly as many as 20,000 people have been killed by authorities in Iran during their crackdown to quell nearly three weeks of protests.

Several Jewish groups around the world have voiced support for the Iranian people amid the anti-regime protests. The American Jewish Committee urged “all people of conscience” to stand in solidarity with Iranians and called on the Iranian regime to be held accountable for its violence against protesters.

“Millions of Iranians are courageously demanding a better life, basic dignity, and a more peaceful future. These brave individuals are risking everything to confront a radical Islamist regime that has brought repression, suffering, and terror to its own people, the region, and across the globe,” the AJC said.

“The international community has a moral responsibility to act in solidarity with the Iranian people and to advance a safer region and a more peaceful Middle East.”

“My thoughts are with the people of Iran who are protesting a brutal and repressive regime,” said Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress. “May all those who have taken to the streets remain safe.”

Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) CEO Sacha Roytman said the world “must not look away this time” at the Iranian government’s “brutal suppression of its own people.”

“What we are witnessing is not just an internal political crisis; it is a human rights catastrophe of a global magnitude,” he added in a released statement.

“We stand with the Iranian people fighting for their freedom … It menaces anyone who believes in human liberty, dignity, and the right to live without fear … We look forward to a future where the people of Iran enjoy the freedom that is their right and they so richly deserve. May it come soon.”