REGINA — Regina resident Niloufar Khameneh is worried about her family’s safety due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
In late December, protests across the country erupted as citizens fought back against the Islamic Republic government.
Among other measures, the government responded to the protests by imposing a nationwide internet blackout on Jan. 8, cutting Khameneh and others off from family and friends.
“At this point, it’s not just worrying about being able to contact them, but being worried about if they’re even still alive,” said Khameneh.
“You have no idea what they're doing and how everything is there,” she added.
Activists say at least 6,159 people died during the protests in Iran as of Jan. 27, which heightens Khameneh’s worries.
Even with the blackout, people in Iran who used internet provider Starlink, which is illegal in the country, have managed to contact those in other areas.
A friend of Khameneh’s in the U.S. said they could contact her family to check in on their well-being.
“My mom said they're fine. So that was a relief," she said. "[But], because it was a very limited connection, I couldn't ask to call all my friends and see how they're doing.”
Fear, inflation and uncertainty
Khameneh said the situation in Iran cannot continue, as many people have faced hardships living there.
“Because of the inflation, suddenly, very suddenly, I'm not even joking, everything doubled. So for a whole year you save money to buy a car, and exactly the time that you're close to having the car you want, suddenly the prices increase so badly.”
She also spoke about the challenges women face.
“For ladies, it's very complicated to divorce. In court, two women are equal to one man, so I can’t imagine how all of this is acceptable.”
Khameneh said it has now reached a point where people have accepted that the Islamic Republic is a dictatorship and will not change the country for the better.
“We want a whole new thing. No improvement is acceptable, no negotiation. We are done.”
Khameneh is hopeful that the fight people are putting up against the regime will lead to better times.
“The real happiness is when it happens, when that day happens, my country will be free. And I think that at the time we can say all these lives [lost] like it was for something, and that moment will be so pretty, so brilliant.”
It’s unclear when the power outage across the country could end.
