Iranian-born mother shares thoughts on protests
Protests over the declared result of Iran's presidential election may be half a world away.
But to one Crystal Lake family, the news hits home.
Zahra Kashani and her husband, Mahmoud, fled from Iran during the country's war with Iraq in the 1980s, leaving family and friends behind.
They have never returned.
More than 20 years later, Zahra, a freelance photographer and student at Elgin Community College, talks about her former life, and her fears for the loved ones who still walk the streets of Tehran.
Q. Tell us about leaving Iran.
A. "I was married in 1979. We had a nice life over there, but when the revolution came, we didn't have anything. I could not stay. Most of all I was scared for my kids and for their lives. I applied for a visa to France in 1985. I left Tehran with my two kids and one bag. The day after I left the country, the French embassy closed. From there, we came to the U.S., right to Crystal Lake, in 1999. It's been 25 years and I've never been back. I'm never going back."
Q. Is much of your family still over there?
A. "Yes. My aunt, uncle, sisters-in-law and their children still live there. My nieces and nephews attend universities in Tehran. We're very scared for them. They don't have any life, especially the women and the students. They cannot say what they think. Everything is up to the regime."
Q. What is your family telling you about the current protests?
A. "I contact them most days, especially now that so much is happening. They'll say, we cannot talk on the phone a lot. I talked to my sister-in-law yesterday. She told me how scared everyone is to leave their homes. Her son and daughter, they live northwest of Tehran, where a lot of problems are. When they went to a demonstration three days ago, the police broke down the door of their condo, came inside and broke everything."
Q. Tell us about your life here.
A. "We have four children. My oldest son, Ahmad, and my second son, Hamid, are both engineers. Za Za, my daughter, is a senior at Roosevelt University, and works at ECC. My youngest son, Ali, is in his second year at ECC. We have a good life. I'm proud of them because each one of them have had good educations."
Q. Do you feel like the U.S. is taking a strong enough stance against the Iran's crackdown on anti-government protesters?
A. "The words (President Obama) is using is important, saying 'Enough is enough.' He is really somebody going for the freedom for everybody. We're thankful for him."
Q. What are you hearing from your family about the election and riots that we're not hearing in the news?
A. "The government and the people are two different things. I hope the people in the rest of the world understand that. The Iranian people, they want peace, they want work."
Q. Have you taken part in any demonstrations here about the Iran government?"
A. "I walked in a demonstration last Sunday in Chicago. I want to go to Elgin Community College and ask them to put up a candle for (Neda Agha Soltan, the 26-year-old who lost her life and has become a symbol for the movement), and for the memories of all the students and the people over there that die for democracy. Everything I can do to help them, I do it. And I hope they get everything they want. We are behind them."