Iranian journalist sounds off on anti-Israel protests: Progressives in US abandoned us
Activist Masih Alinejad joined Fox & Friends to discuss her reaction to anti-Israel protests on college campuses and why she is outraged at progressive politicians for refusing to stand with Iranian women.
Journalist and women's rights activist Masih Alinejad is outraged at progressive Americans for refusing to stand with Iranian women and called on high-powered liberals such as Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey to take action.
Alinejad, who fled Iran, joined "Fox & Friends" on Friday to discuss anti-Israel protests on college campuses across the country on the heels of "Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter being arrested at Columbia University.
"I really don’t know whether I have to cry or laugh or be angry, because those who say, ‘I am Hamas,’ they’re clearly saying that, ‘I am a terrorist, I am capable of raping people, I am capable of killing people,’" Alinejad said.
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Journalist Masih Alinejad is outraged at progressive Americans for refusing to stand with Iranian women. (Fox News)
"I am coming from a country where I was told that if I don’t cover my hair, I will be hanged… I am coming from a country where my women are being raped and face sexual harassment," she continued, noting fanatic anti-Israel protesters in America are often quickly released from prison. "In my country, when you say, ‘Death to the Islamic Republic, death to terrorists,’ you never get released from prison. You get killed."
Alinejad is furious American women are ignoring the story of Dina Qalibaf, a student at Tehran's Beheshti University who was arrested after she was allegedly sexually harassed by the Islamic Republic's Morality Police this week. She said the Islamic Republic is essentially Hamas and doesn’t understand how progressive Americans can side with a group that mistreats women.
"I’m trying to actually get the attention of the schoolgirls, university students, college campuses in America," Alinejad said. "Where are you when Iranian people, like women, being killed … those that say they are actually supporting Islamic Republic, you’re more than welcomed to go to my beloved country Iran where women get killed for clearly wanting to have the same freedom, walking unveiled in the street, to ride a bicycle, to sing."
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Alinejad said that her "progressive sisters in America" have abandoned the women of Iran but support the Islamic Republic.
Oprah Winfrey was among the high-powered women called out by women's rights activist Masih Alinejad. (Vera Anderson)
"Let me be very clear. The anti-war activists, the real war being waged against women in Iran—Israeli strikes and attacks on Iran left no casualty, but the war being declared against Iranian women by the Islamic Republic caused hundreds of deaths, caused thousands of imprisonments, caused dozens of executions," she said.
Alinejad said she is "ashamed" and called on powerful liberal women to step up.
"There was no pro-Iranian women protest taking place in America by progressive women like Ilhan Omar. I’m calling Michelle Obama, I’m calling Oprah, I’m calling all women here, now be united with Iranian women to end gender apartheid regime," she said.
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