
Roshi Hoss is the co-founder of, together with her sister Sharareh, Stockholm based PR firm Hoss Agency.
Can you share your thoughts on what is happening in Iran right now and how this is affecting you personally?
— Right now, I am watching a video of a young woman who was shot in bright daylight in Mashhad in Iran. Her life was taken, just like that, by the regime forces. The young people of Iran are fighting for their freedom and basic human rights, and the only thing they are asking for is freedom of choice. Right now the youth of Iran, the brilliant minds that could change the world, that could heal the world, with their intelligence is being killed.
Dr Mohammad Ali Modjtahedi Gilani who was an Iranian University professor and lifetime principal of the highly prestigious Alborz High School in Tehran, Iran. Founder of Sharif University of Technology and dean of Tehran Polytechnic University said ”You are the wealth of this country. The wealth of the country is not oil. The wealth of the country is not copper. The wealth of the country is not gold. It is you”.
History is repeating itself, when dozens of students of Sharif were attacked more than a week ago, carted off blindfolded into waiting for unmarked vans at Sharif University, disappeared and still missing. The golden assets of Iran are being slaughtered and the world is just watching. It is time to act. It is time to take a stand.
The world knows how the HBO series ”The Handmaids’ Tale” explores themes of subjugated women in a patriarchal society, loss of female agency and individuality, suppression of women’s reproductive rights and the various means by which women resist and try to gain individuality and independence. This is not fiction. This is what is happening in Iran right now.
I hear, see and feel the grief of mothers that are screaming for their daughters and sons. Every day lives are being taken by the hypocritical regime of Iran. Yesterday a taxi driver and I were talking and he asked where I was from and then he said ” I have been to 55 countries, but nothing shocked me as much as when I ended up by accident outside of a brothel in Iran. I needed to see it with my own eyes, so I went in. The first person I met was an Imam. I asked the man ”So how does this work”, and he said,”My friend, you pick whomever you want, I will arrange it so that you get married right here, and when you are done with her, I will annul your wedding”. My taxi driver then said ”That is a way to find loopholes in the Quran buddy, what happens if I do not wish to annul the wedding” and the man answered with a laugh: ”Well then you can just take her home, she is your property, you bought her”. This is how the regime of Iran misuses the Quran. They are not Muslims, they do not believe in good or God. They are a bunch of psychopaths withholding basic human rights from a whole nation.
The world is burning in rage and grief, the whole world is finally waking up. We are not asking for Twitter quotes from politicians and world leaders. We can manage that ourselves, we who have no power other than the power of social media. We are demanding them to stop caring about their own skin getting cold during winter, to stop turning their backs on Iran and show up for our sisters and brothers just as they did in solidarity with Ukraine. We are demanding a change. The Swedish foreign minister, Ann Linde finally spoke up yesterday, but her words showed a lack of empathy, knowledge and solidarity. It is also quite interesting that she spoke up as soon as the Iranian oil workers started striking and protesting. Iran, and all of us standing with Iran, we are not asking anymore, we are demanding the world leaders to end their silence, we are demanding that they too act now.
Why is this happening right now? In regard to cultural and generational changes.
— Right now something beautiful is happening, as much as my prayers go out to all of those who lost their loved ones, who lost their children, I need them to know that their sacrifice will not be forgotten, their sacrifice will be in the history books for all generations to come. The youth of Iran have educated the world on what bravery, strength and true power is and I truly believe this will change many lives, I believe that this power can change the world, as we have shown that we stand together when it truly matters, we won’t give up until we get what we want and we won’t be silenced.
Have you seen any initiatives in your industry that are supporting or at least discussing what is happening right now? If not, what would you like to see?
— People want to help, they are doing the very best with what they got and I am impressed by my non-Iranian friends who ask and want to learn more about the history of our country, who ask how they can contribute and how to support our Iranian brothers and sisters. I see Iranians in exile who are planning galas, and tv-shows, who participate in interviews and who use their voice in an educational and powerful way, both on social media and in traditional media outlets. I want each and every person to get inspired by the brave acts we are witnessing from the young and fearless Iranians. We are very privileged, we can speak up without getting killed, arrested, or tortured and no one can silence us, so why the hell wouldn’t we speak up?
In regards to the regime’s internet shutdown, how can we, who have unlimited access to social media, help and keep shedding light on the situation?
— Just do whatever you can, scream, talk, write, host demonstrations, participate in demonstrations, sign petitions that will put pressure on our politicians, write articles, every single chance you get to talk on tv, radio, Youtube channels, and podcasts. Talk to your taxi driver, your barber, and your friends and spread the word, talk about the brave lives that were sacrificed, share and do not stop until you see real change.
Keep on sharing, do not be afraid of consistency, do not give up, post and repost and be the extended arm of the Iranian people. Everyone can do something. And together we can fuel this movement and support our brothers and sisters in Iran to make the change that we all have been longing for.