Iran and Israel: Tensions in the German diaspora on record high!

Iran and Israel: Tensions in the German diaspora on record high!

The current geopolitical Situation ensures great disturbance among Iranians and Israelis in Germany. The war between Iran and Israel has not only gained explosiveness through military conflicts, but also through the emotional and social tensions in the diaspora. The organization "Woman Life Freedom Unity", which was founded in Iran in 2022 and is vehemently committed to people's rights, shows the deeply anchored desires of freedom and equality in Iran, which can also be found in this country. Neda Paiabandi, an active Kurdin within the organization, expresses her shock rigid about the current events and refers to the votes of the people in Iran who do not want to be freed from outside, but want to actively fight against their oppressors. She herself witnessed the Iran Irak War as a child and knows about the fears and courage of the people in her homeland.

In Iraqi diaspora, however, split opinions about the Israeli attacks are shown. While some, especially monarchists, support these attacks as a possibility for a change of regime in Iran, others like Navid, a doctoral student in this environment, reject such violent acts as long as innocent civilians are affected. On the other hand, Vitaly Kivsh, a Jewish German-Israeli, supports attacks on Iran as a necessary self-defense against terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hisbollah. He sees a connection between the Iranian people and Israel, who strives for the fall of the regime in Iran, and emphasizes that it is not directed against the Iranian population.

The voices of the diaspora

Naomi Tamir, board member of the Jewish Student Union Germany, creates the connection to her family in Israel. It sees a preventive blow against Iran as necessary, but civilian victims are unacceptable for her. At the same time, it underlines the need for solidarity between the Jewish and Iranian diaspora, which was raised during the "Woman Life Freedom" protests. Despite the tensions, the relationship between the two communities in Germany remains positive.

The protests in Iran, which were triggered by the violent death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, set a strong sign of women's rights. The movement also formed in response to the brutal attacks by the "moral police". Activists such as Yasaman Aryani and Monireh Arabhahi caused a stir in a subway wagon in 2019 through their unexplained appearance. Even today, women are active at the forefront and document state violence against protesters, which underlines the importance of social media for movement. Despite the draconian internet throttling, women manage to draw attention to their position with the hashtag "No2hijab" and other campaigns worldwide.

hope and anger in movement

In Iranian diaspora, a profound reflection on hope, fear and anger is noticeable. Activists report emotional distancing through self -censorship to protect themselves from discrimination in the community. There is concern about relatives in Iran and at the same time dealing with critics in the diaspora. The wave of demands in terms of Iranian identity leads to tensions and distrust. Nevertheless, the desire to overcome the internal conflicts remains to fight together for a better future.

Art plays a central role in this. Many artists use their creative expression to show the resistance and to articulate demands for freedom. The song "Baraye" by Shervin Hajipour became a hymn of the protest movement and has found broad response, even if the artists are faced with enormous risks.

The current situation underlines the unbreakable connection between humanity and the pursuit of freedom, which is not only felt in Iran, but also in the diaspora. It remains to be hoped that the courage of the protesters not only works wonders in Iran, but also here in Germany and releases a wave of support and solidarity that overcomes all borders.