To death, to the dictator. Calling for the end of the repressive clerical regime, which is heading back hard, its violent, cracked on, has killed or detained. Hundreds of civilians, journalists, and activists. And shut down the internet. Today were asking, iran rises up. Can the bullets be toppled with . And it is a pleasure to greet our guests. Give us a happy is an author and journalist of iranian origin who writes among other publications for the german daily, the tots yada. As our boss is the head of the farsi desk here at deutsche of ela, we are very pleased to welcome her as a colleague and daniel dylan, burma who reports on iran for the berlin bass to daily developed, also joins us and kills. If i can start with you is, is, of course, is not only women, but also school girls who are now tearing off their he jobs in public. Their head scarves are now becoming a symbol for defiance of the regime. Where is this fury coming from . Have you been surprised by its force . I had an affair have actually, i mean, wished with have this product. I protest for 3 weeks now roughly. And when they started, i thought, well, it is new. A lot of it is still new women and men going together, sat chanting, as i said, women life freedom, which is new because all gender school are together. Theyre fighting for for womens rights together and human rights. But now its the dns. Yes is rising up as well. We see jesse rising up all over the world and now we see it in iran and the force and the courage of these girls, this young girls who know the higher care of this oppressive regime in schools. Weve seen school girls like shouting out the director of the School Office its, its just a scene that i am surprised by because the of the force, the power of them and yelled at this of course, is not the 1st protest in iran in the past decade. But it is unique in that it was lead initially by women and girls. Do you think that will make a difference to its outcome . I definitely think it will and will we can see already is that these protests have a different dimension, a different quality than all the other protests in the recent years. But we have to say iran has seen, we have witnessed a lot of wave of protest in the last 40 years, but it was more like every 10 years. And then we can, we could witness that how these or how it became every year. So we had 20172018 big, huge protest. Then we have 2019, which was more, of course i forgot to mention 2009, which was the green movement, which is very important. But then the, it, the difference was it was more about reformers or hardliners. It was about more freedom. It was the students, the lead, more or less, not asking for a regime change or just change of the system of his nomic republic. Indeed, theyre now showing death to them now. Sure, exactly not. We dont hear to slogans about reformers or hardliners. What we hear is theres 2 dictator and addressing the Supreme Leader to angela, how many and for because of this, the role of the women in here being on the forefront under protest. This is really gaining a different they mention. And they are really addressing one of the symbols of this law make republic, theyre challenging, there he up to force teach up for women. So daniel, the air, as weve heard their protests has been gaining momentum. Many, many students now joining the protests, but also facing a very violent crack down. Do you think that the protestors a can maintain their opposition, their defiance in the face of a violence . I think it will be a struggle. It will be very hard struggle. We will likely see this going on for months and if you look at the details of whats happening and individual cities, you see that the level of violence is rising and that the government of iran has basically told us its population. But everybody taking part in these demonstrations faces the risk of death. And this is definitely a new situation. And i think it will be hard to maintain this level of protests. But i think what sure is that iran will not remain the same after this kind of protests, no matter if the system can be toppled now or not. And we want to drill a bit deeper into precisely that, as the protest proved to be more than a temporary outburst, the regime has moved to shut down internet access, blocking social media platforms that made it harder for the victims of official brutality to document it. And still some images of Police Firing live ammunition at crowds and beating civilians who are unarmed, are getting through and arousing wide spread revulsion women life freedom has become their rallying cry. Thousands of iranians have taken to the streets nationwide since mid september, filled by rage and grief over the presumably violent death of siena, musser and mimi, the Morality Police arrested and detained the 22 year old woman for allegedly wearing her. He job incorrectly. What exactly happened . Next is unclear, but in mean he fell into a coma and died shortly afterwards in a hospital. Women are setting fire to their head, start from shouting, were fighting, were dying, and we will take back iran. Many men have also joined the growing demonstrations against the oppressive government. Its Security Forces and these law mc regime. But retaliation has been brutal. At least 130 people are said to have been killed to date act. The solidarity have been pouring in from around the world while the iranian governments violent response to the demonstrations has been heavily criticized by the u. S. Europe, and even some middle Eastern Countries like lebanon. Will the protests topple the mules regime . And gilda, let me put that central question straight away to you. How dangerous is this for the regime . I think its very dangerous. I think what daniel said, whatever happens this flame that we have been seeing on the streets and all over the country. It wont go out, it wont go away. And we see the young girls they have seen, they have felt. You cannot underestimate the importance of emotions. Here they have felt they have experienced freedom. Theyve taken off their, he job, they have dance on the street. They have sang on the streets they, they felt it all the experience at all. And it is true that the regime is cracking down very, very hard on every one, whatever, wherever they see something weve seen videos of some Security Forces, just shooting randomly on the street like things that, thats just unimaginable for us here. And even if they do end at some point, which we dont even know, i think also that it might just go on for weeks or months. This is not going to go away. And i believe that the resistance that weve been seeing now is gonna get more structural and organized. I dont think theyre just gonna leave it at what it is right now. Very interesting. I want to come back to their point in just a moment but, but looking at the causes of this yelder, how much of this is about the tragic death of matter . Many whom we saw in the report and how much. Ringback of it is about a whole pile of additional indignities. It is bows and actually we have to see that people are head up. People are especially women, 50 percent of the population that have basically lost all their rights in the last 40 years since since since the Islamic Republic was founded. So, and then we have economic issues. We have human rights there is that that did not exist basically. So what we, what the difference is here with the tragic and brutal death of martha gina massa. I mean, this is something that every one can rely. She is a symbol for this. For this week, we did have symbols for protests, but not the symbol that everyone can relate to. Every woman. Like every woman, anyone growing up, you get to experience the morality, police, you get this brutal you really eating explained experience and violence through morale to police. Because of not being able to wear or to dress the way you want to because of a little bit of heritage from last. I mean, the thing is, she was not even without a he job or without the, the head of she had it just not properly or not probably put on as they, as they put it, as many, many iranian women do. Exactly. And i have to say, we see her 40 years ago, how it started. And there were women taking to this tweets and protesting against the forced he job. But then they bit with the repression and they had to kind of accept that. But what we see now in the, you know, the head scarves getting loser, et cetera. This is an achievement of the women in the last 4 decades. But what i want to say is, of course, now just so many more, this is about so many more. And so many, i think its very powerful to see how man supporting women on the streets, how the young generation specially took it to is taking and another dimension or another factor. It factor is i think, you know, that also i mentioned it school. Oh girl. Yeah, yeah, with students. So we have 11 aspect of the Students University students because in the last protest it was said that the fit movement is that they are back and they will organize themselves. And this will go on, even if its thin, it will not go on streets if they will really crack on track down and protest this will go on. And universities people will, are going to have, which of course, we just have to have seen that daniel. As i said, the internet has been shut down, social media sites are blocked. So how much do we really know about the breadth of this movement . Protestors themselves say it has become a revolt a would you also use that term to describe it . I think its fair to say that it is a revolt because its so broad, we dont know the exact size. If you look at the various a human rights organizations and opposition groups, they hand out figures that differ widely. What we know is, are that its taking place in definitely more than a 100 cities and places. So aggressive or do we know anything about whats happening in the country say, well, we know that it is going into the provinces that have been some reports also about action and villagers. But what we know more about is whats going on in the city. So the, the scope of this is very big and i think whats most noteworthy is that the kind of people taking place is very, very broad. And i think this is what makes the crucial difference here. The last protests like the fuel protests in 201920. They were more focused on the poorer classes of 2009 protests against the likely fake election in 2009 was carried by the middle classes to a large degree. Now we have everybody on the street, and the interesting thing is that this was possible because it focused on women because this experience of marginalization of women is something that every family in iran knows no matter where its placed on the social stratum. And i think this has surprised us also because, but basically everybody thought, well, iran in the end, its a macho, middle east of society. And its not that simple. And also the other cities area, because 70 percent of the population do live in cities. So its not even if we dont know exactly whats going on in the country side in the provinces, most people do live in the cities. So, and can i just ask you a guilty because we heard the religious leader of iran, the ayatollah pledge recently lay me on the violence of the protests on reruns, usual scapegoats, the u. S. And israel and he was looking pretty confident are when he spoke to the public. Do you think he will get by in for that narrative . Well, in the hes had practice for decades. Like what weve been seeing as it was, it was to be expected. I mean, he did hold back for quite a while. There were like, i mean, there have been rumors about him being sick for a long time. Everyones like, is he sick . Is he not sick everyone . Blizzard, and what we saw was just the same thing over and over again. And what i believe is that this was directed not at the people because people in iran, they know that theyre lying. There is no doubt about it. When he asked when he talked to people, he ran every one else that theyre lying to them all the time. But when, when the this was directed especially to the, to, to the west, like we have it under control. We have, its, you know, with we do what we always do. Were gonna bring this down and as well and, and the u. S. Are to blame. Thats a, thats a play and the game that weve been seeing over and over. But still things are not changing. Thats the difference to santana. You were looking slightly skeptical there. Yeah, i, im not sure that Everybody Knows theyre lying. Im not sure that all the population is against the regime. I do think that there is, of course im, i dont mean that i dont think that you meant to imply that i just think that its also important to keep in mind that theres, there is a hard core around the regime which is bigger than the hard core around most regimes around the world. There is a Popular Movement of the passage around the regime whose highs as but depending on the way youre counted between a 1000000 people and maybe 12000000 people who both depend on that regime economically and who are also mentally and psychologically deeply, deeply rooted in this and they do feel under attack, they have been feeling under attack a since the eightys and they see this as a continuation. So one of the scenarios that we should be looking at is not only a violent regime crackdown, but also a kind of a civil war that might break out because there is others. Another side. Yeah, the what i will, i was the other regime, youre the, im, once youre not the ordinary people though, we have to actually make a different. It is right. It is correct for us than mcdaniel is, is pointing to, but we have to see that. And these hardcore and what you, you named and also devotion revolution regard copes, the best c, g s. These they are of course they will die. Yeah. And in our give die for, for, to keep up the ideology of the regime to keep up the islamic, to hold or to hold on to the Islamic Republic and its ideology. But they are less and less normal people normal as to say, even religious people who had maybe 30 years ago, 43 years ago, support since the Islamic Republic. And as well as even those we know that they have turned their back on on this, this way of ruling and this interpretation of the islam by the, by declaring so. So i think in we have to of course, there will be correct on and they are in power and the roots are close that economic power. Its, its, you know, the div task is to defend the enemy inside and outside of the country. But i still think that we can see on the streets now also is that this is different layers of society, united standing. And let me, let me briefly ask about that. If i re, i want to quickly move on to ask what the west can and should do, but 1st, getting back to your remarks that youve made about the fact that you think the protest can endure. And you think you see clearly clear leadership or that the potential for clear leadership. I believe you said that and also daniel, i wouldnt say leadership or nation organization. And normally we say that for protests to really become Something Like a regime changing event. It requires not only leadership, but also security services, or some part of the government to switch sides. Who amongst you sees that likelihood there are signs already. Weve seen a videos on social media of o people, even from the normal army or also. Ah, they are tish, im not sure. I thought, i think dont think they were revolutionary guard people, but thermal army in on the army who said, stop killing iranians like theyve posted videos online, and thats the 1st time were seeing that. And i dont think there will be a leadership. Im not re run, its like leaders like one leader, and also the regime would remove them immediately. That wouldnt work. Its, it has to be brought. It has to be something that all people carry together and thats what were seeing. Okay, let, let, sorry, im going to make a cut there because i do want to talk about how other countries can and should respond. And in many european countries, irans ambassadors had been summoned to account for the regimes crap down the u. S. As imposed new sanctions on iran, the u. S. Threatening to do the same, but would they make a difference . On may 8th, 2018, former u. S. President donald trump signed a document that are known to be around nuclear deal negotiated by the obama administration. 3 years prior, this will know what the deal was replaced by a policy that maximized political pressure and imposed and even tougher embargo affecting virtually every sphere of life. And no iranian has been spared. 20 morally humility, the sanctions are very tyrannical. This is a tyranny against the people of iran. It is important to us all have the sanctions lifted, but negotiations with around for a new deal are slow to progress and the moors regime doesnt seem to be in any rush to comply. Meanwhile, there are reports of iran expanding its uranium enrichment program, meaning the country is closer than ever to having nuclear capabilities. Why wont iran conceit on the Nuclear Issue . So if with their question straight to daniel, you know, just a couple of months ago, it looked like the Nuclear Agreement could be revived. Now it seems to be dead in the water once again. Why is that . And what is the standstill . Mean for wester leverage is a v. Iran. I think we should be really, really worried about the state of the Nuclear Talks. Because if you talk to them, go ca, to us, to the people who have been sitting on the table on the negotiating table with iranians for years. Even those who have defended this process and this attempt to re integrate iran are now in doubt whether iran at all once a deal. And the reason is that they have progressed with a Nuclear Program so strongly and in such a clear military direction. The so clearly now a program which is directed at acquiring at least Nuclear Weapons capability. And there are now a obstructing the negotiations by opening up questions that had been negotiated before. So the doubts are very big here. I think the connection to the, to the unrest in iran is that of course, preserving the regime. Thats the 1st priority, which the iranian leadership regards, both in the Nuclear Talks and in internal policy. And i think that this unrest will accelerate the decision of the regime either to go for Nuclear Weapons or Nuclear Weapons capability, or a change of course, what, were not, what we have not been seeing. And the last few years is that the likely for change of course has grown as actually diminished as a radicalization. But lets remember the thing t