DEPROGRAMMED: Ex-Palestine supporter blasts 'insane' movement for 'cherry-picking' oppressors
Parishad Kavyani, an Iranian-born Canadian activist, has left the pro-Palestine movement, accusing it of cherry-picking oppressors while ignoring human rights violations in Iran.
Parishad Kavyani, born in Iran and raised there until moving to Canada at age 14, has abandoned the pro-Palestine movement she once supported, criticizing what she calls its "insane" liberal intellectualism for selectively focusing on oppressors while ignoring human rights violations elsewhere.
The Iranian-Canadian activist revealed that her departure from the cause was prompted by the movement's failure to advocate for Iranian women's rights, even as they claimed to support women's liberation globally.
Growing up in Iran
Kavyani's firsthand experience in Iran shaped her perspective on advocacy. She described being forced to cover head-to-toe at age 6, chanting "death to America" in school, and being threatened with divine punishment for interacting with boys.
She recalled witnessing widespread poverty and lack of basic infrastructure in Iranian villages, with authorities justifying these issues by claiming resources needed to be sent to support Palestinians.
The more time you spend in the country you're like, 'Why is it my responsibility to save another nation?'
Movement's selective advocacy
Kavyani detailed her disillusionment with the pro-Palestine movement's approach to human rights, noting their silence on Iranian women's desire for freedom while advocating for Palestinian liberation.
They advocate for liberation of people, they advocate for women's rights, but when it comes to Iranian women wanting freedom, wanting the freedom to wear whatever they want, they suddenly are quiet — and not only quiet, but they support the oppressor, she said.
October 7 tipping point
The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, became a decisive moment for Kavyani, who could not support violence against civilians regardless of their nationality or political beliefs.
After the attack, she noticed a fundamental flaw in the movement's coalition, accusing them of "cherry-picking between killers" rather upholding universal human rights principles.
Kavyani emphasized that her departure wasn't about opposing Palestinian rights but about the movement's selective approach to human rights advocacy and its failure to condemn all oppressors equally.
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