Former advocate details disillusionment with pro-Palestine movement

Kavyani expressed dismay at the lack of support within the movement for the rights of Iranian women, noting a perceived contradiction when advocating for the liberation of others while overlooking the struggles of women in Iran. “They advocate for liberation of people, [they] advocate for women’s rights, but when it comes to Iranian women wanting freedom… [they] suddenly are quiet — and not only quiet, but [they] support the oppressor,” she stated.

Growing up in Iran, Kavyani explained that she was exposed to extensive propaganda regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, witnessing widespread poverty and hardship within Iran itself led her to question the prioritization of foreign aid. “You see that the villages in Iran don’t have drinking water… Why? Because the government doesn’t actually do anything about the people in need inside the country, and you’re always told, ‘Oh, but we have to save money to send to Palestine,’” she recounted.

The events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel, served as a pivotal moment for Kavyani. She condemned the targeting of Israeli civilians and the broader concept of creating a hierarchy of human worth. “Just because someone is holding an Israeli passport doesn’t mean that they should just get killed… If there’s a war that you’re including civilians in that war, and you’re taking civilians hostage… that’s not something that I support no matter who this person is,” she said.

Following this, Kavyani distanced herself from the movement, citing a fundamental disconnect with its values. She believes many within the movement are not genuinely motivated by human rights principles, but rather by a selective and ideological agenda. “I started separating myself… because I was like, this is not the group that I want to associate myself with because I don’t think a lot of the people within that movement are there for the human rights aspect of it,” she explained.