Behind the Headlines/March 19

Jamshid Chalangi:

We begin tonight’s program with offering our best wishes for the arrival of Nowruz to our fellow Iranians who have endured another year packed with socio-economic problems at home, but remain hopeful for brighter days ahead of them in the Persian Year of 1398!

We all heard yesterday from ayatollah Khamenei as to how he and his regime look upon our nation’s ancient and national festivals when he condemned and banned the fire festival of Chaharshanbesoori.

Here in our Washington studios we are joined by Mitra Jashni who would share her reaction to Khamenei’s comments.

Mitra Jashni:

For me and the young generation of Iran our national festivals are very dear and give us an identity. They say if you do not ask for it you will not get it.

We have been born after the disaster of the Islamic revolution in Iran and all we have seen from this regime has been in praise of death and destruction. So, by celebrating our national festivals like Nowruz which is much to the displeasure of the regime we are in fact struggling against the regime and its vile ideology that bans happiness and joy.

This struggle has become more intense and widespread with the help of the social media.

Our youth are well aware of their national heritage and fight to preserve them as a way of rejecting the regime’s rule.