By Jubin Katiraie
Sahar Gholamali, a member of the Iranian Resistance, recounted her life story. It can be read in full on the NCRI Women’s Committee website.
Suppression and oppression has been a part of her life since she was born, literally, as she was born in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran during the eighties.
Her parents were both arrested for their political and social activities as they were supporters of the opposition Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK). They believed in freedom and opposed the regime that had established a religious dictatorship in the country.
Her mother was pregnant when she was arrested and she gave birth not long after arriving in Evin Prison. Sahar said she was born into the most horrific conditions where the health standards were non-existent. She said that her future would have been very uncertain if it were not for the inmates who ensured that Sahar and her mother were looked after.
She said: “They helped my mother however they could. Some provided clothes, some gave their share of food, and more importantly, they dressed my mother’s wounds, and pampered me so I could survive and grow.”
Her father, she said, never got to meet her. Interrogators in the prison said he could see his newborn baby if he gave in to their demands – which he never did. Sahar said: “This was the greatest test for a young father: to see his newborn daughter in exchange for betrayal and cooperation! My father, however, courageously chose the more difficult option and bravely stood up to his enemies to his last breath. Eventually he was executed in the ‘80s without ever seeing me.”
After a year in prison, Sahar was looked after by family. She was reunited with her mother when she was around four years-old and they went to Camp Ashraf in Iraq where she was able to go to school and learn with other children.
She spoke about how their situation got worse after a few years, and soon there were bombings every day. Eventually, Sahar was sent to Canada with the help of the PMOI and she led a comfortable and privileged life with a loving family. She had everything one could hope for to have a content existence – friends, education, happiness, and so on.
However, she would often think about her family and her home country and she would read about the Iranian Resistance, in particular the PMOI. She would never forget the sacrifices made by her parents and she read about the suppression of people in Iran in all areas of life.
She realised that people are paying the ultimate sacrifice for freedom in Iran, including her parents, especially her father who forewent the opportunity to see his baby, and her aunt. They were tortured but still maintained their resistance against the regime.
She made the decision to join the Resistance, saying that she wants the children of Iran to enjoy the same life that she could enjoy in Canada.
“I can willingly and consciously give up my desires and blessings and join a Resistance which has the goal of bringing such goodness to an 80-million nation!”
