Tulips of peace to highlight human rights abuse in Iran

CAMPAIGNERS have been handing out tulips in Henley town centre to raise awareness of reported human rights abuses in Iran.

Naghmeh Noei-Tabrizi and her sister Noosheen stood outside Persian restaurant Bijans Kitchen in Market Place, handing out red tulips to passersby.

The tulips were provided by florist Noosheen and they were tied with a tricolour, green, white and red, ribbon reading “Free Iran”.

Naghmeh, 55, said the aim of the day was to spread awareness about what is happening in the country where the security forces stand accused of killing tens of thousands of anti-government protesters.

The sisters grew up in Iran before moving to the UK in the Eighties and Naghmeh, who lives in Henley, said the red flowers represented the blood of those who had been killed.

They were helped by Erfan Hedayati, owner of Bijans, who grew up in Iran and fled the regime in 2013. Naghmeh said: “It’s actually not about politics, this is about human rights. People just want to live, they want to breathe, they want to eat, they want to travel like you and I do.

“They just want to be free. They want to have a choice. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard does not give the people of Iran a choice. There’s only one choice. You either follow them or you don’t.

“So each of these tulips has sprung from the blood of injustice.”

In December, protests began in Iran, initially sparked by economic grievances and these subsequently spread and became among the largest in recent years.

The regime launched a crackdown in response and an internet shutdown has meant it has been difficult for those outside of Iran to see what has been happening.

Reports of the number of people that have been killed vary widely, with the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) confirming 6,842 deaths with 11,280 cases under review.

Other estimates from doctors based outside Iran put the figure at 33,000 or more.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, has publicly acknowledged several thousand people were killed during recent protests but blamed the US and Israel for the deaths.

“No one knows about this because there are no communications,” Naghmeh said. “They are murdering behind closed doors. They are executing in silence. They are arresting everyone.”

She said that the group had received a mainly positive reaction to their campaign with many people offering to donate money. Naghmeh said: “We said we don’t want a donation, as we’re not a charity. It is about awareness.”

“Families were stopping and reading the message of what’s going on. Many were aware but they said, ‘You’re doing a great thing’ and people should talk about this more.”

Despite their efforts, Naghmeh said she still felt “helpless”. She said: “What we’re doing now is nothing. It’s very frustrating for us.”

Naghmeh said that she had been spurred on by her concern for her relatives back in Iran, adding: “This is the only thing we can do.”

Erfan Hedayati, who took over the running of Bijans Kitchen in 2022, has hung two flags in the entrance to the restaurant. The flags feature a Lion and Sun in the middle of the tricolour.

The design was the state flag before the Islamic Revolution in 1979.