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Execution. Torture. Mass graves. Amputation. Coerced Confessions. Hunger strikes. Firing squads. Stonings. Imprisonment. Solitary confinement. Death. Name. Age. No information available.

At best, these concepts bring memories of a movie scene or a news headline to mind for most of  us. They make us uncomfortable, nervous and desperate for a change of topic.  We, myself included, are scared to face the sad realities that we feel we cannot change.  We need palpable results with feel good benefits. The commercial with starving cats and dogs and the depressing Sarah McLachlan song makes us want to pick up the phone to donate and change the channel at the same time.  Unless personally affected, we need our heart strings pulled with easy to consume messages and even easier to participate campaigns to keep our attention.  Simplicity sometimes pushes its way through the oversaturation of messages we get on a daily basis. But what happens when the situation is not so simple?

I am not an expert. I don’t have endless degrees or years under my belt working tirelessly for the rights of others, unlike the incredible people I have encountered working for the Boroumand Foundation.  I haven’t been imprisoned or fled my home without choice. But despite that, I share the commonality of the humanity we all have, regardless of background or experience, which nurtures the basis of the compassion we have for one another.

Saying Iran is complicated is an understatement.  The perception of this country rich with culture and history, is summarized by most with a few obvious points.  A nuclear program, an oppressive and paranoid government and a president who doesn’t believe that the Holocaust happened and says there are no ‘homosexuals’ in his country.  A part of the Axis of Evil, we keep a ‘we don’t mess with them and they better not mess with us’ attitude.  It’s even easier to keep it out of sight and out of mind.  Who wants to help the people who run around yelling ‘Death to America’ all day? Why should it matter to me?

Looking a little deeper all is not as it seems.  The few but powerful people in Iran with the most control have their thoughts and attitudes but this does not mean they reflect the views of the Iranian people as a whole. This is a government that blocks Google, arrests people for opposing its views and is still known to stone people as a means of execution for adultery.  With the suppression and power of the Iranian government, the opinions and feelings of the Iranian people are intimidated into silence.  This is the scariest part of all.

Without a sexy, marketable video a la KONY 2012 or a celebrity endorsed commercial during your favorite show, finding a need to care for the nameless seems like far too much effort. The 22 year old Baha’i student, beaten repeatedly while in the hospital receiving treatment.  The 10 alleged drug dealers executed early in the morning without a fair trial or anyone paying attention.  The imprisoned Christians, Baha’is, Kurds, Balochis, teachers, women, students, political activists, lawyers.  From the experiences of those scarred from the past to those sitting in Evin prison now with no fair trial, no hope and no glossy commercial, the time to pay attention NOW.

The freedoms we take for granted every day have the ability to change the world.  We are constantly sharing information to the network of people in our lives, from our opinions to our lunch.  Acknowledging the plight of those whose freedoms have been stolen give you the power to make noise to a government that unjustly oppresses its people.  You have that power to remember the forgotten, fight for the overlooked and shout for the silenced with the click of your mouse.  You can help create the revolution that had the whole world watching in 2009. You can be a part of changing the troubles that haunt the Iranian people every day.

Embodying the thought that knowledge is power gives us the ability to pass it on to others.  And that is where the changes take place.  By sharing a news article on your Facebook, taking two minutes to sign a petition or simply just informing someone about what’s going on in Iran helps begin to turn up a noise the Iranian government will have to be able to hear.  This noise creates, if nothing else, a moral support for those unfairly suppressed by the Iranian government and lets them know they are not alone. It’s not about your politics, or your religion or what everyone else is thinking or doing. It’s about the justice of humanity that all people deserve, in Iran and around the world.  The same way it’s been given to you as you read and consider this.

What are you waiting for?

For more information on how to get involved and learn more about human rights in Iran visit www.iranrights.org or www.facebook.com/iranrights.

By: Tara Mohtadi, ABF Communications Consultant