Psychologist and women's rights activist, Simin Sabri criticised the “us versus them” mindset in opposition politics, insisting that all citizens—women, workers and religious minorities included—must have an equal role in drafting a new constitution and shaping Iran’s future. Speaking at the conference “Transition and Safeguarding Citizens’ Rights in Iran” in Oslo on 31 August 2024, she remarked: “As a Turkic Iranian, I still do not feel at home in this gathering. As long as divisions persist, they cannot be the foundation of democracy.”
Sabri linked political illiteracy to a century of authoritarian rule, noting that Iranians in 1979 voted under the same suffocating conditions. She argued that the opposition’s failure to mobilise diverse groups was a reason why the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement never grew into a mass uprising. “If workers, women, minorities and national communities are not united,” she warned, “every movement will repeat past defeats.”
She stressed that any future interim government must reflect society’s pluralism: “The era of singular leaders like the Shah or the Supreme Leader is over. A government gains legitimacy only when all groups see themselves represented.” Historical templates such as constitutional monarchy, she added, cannot meet today’s needs; new, broadly acceptable laws and institutions are required.
Recalling the Scandinavian experience, Sabri noted that even consolidated democracies still grapple with women’s and minority rights. She closed with a warning: “If we continue dividing society into ‘us’ and ‘them,’ we are doomed to fail. Only true inclusivity and acceptance of all voices can secure Iran’s democratic future.”
Translated from Farsi via machine translation and lightly edited for clarity.