VOICES OF IRAN: 3 Persian Jewish Activists on the Uprising, Exile, & the Dream of Going Home

Jonah Platt sits down with three incredible Iranian-American leaders: Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh of American Jewish University, Mandana Dayani of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, and Matthew Nouriel of JIMENA - Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa, whose families fled persecution by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), offering an urgent and deeply personal look at life under the Iranian regime. The conversation exposes how the IRGC functions not just as a military force, but as an ideological and economic power structure responsible for widespread human rights abuses, political repression, and global terrorism. The guests share personal stories about living under the threat and surveillance of the IRGC. The episode explores the Iranian regime’s hostility toward Israel, the Jewish community, and the West, while drawing clear distinctions between the Iranian people and their government. Jonah and his guests discuss how the IRGC funds proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, destabilizing the Middle East and exporting violence far beyond Iran’s borders. The conversation also highlights the challenges refugees face when seeking asylum in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and the importance of educating Western audiences about Iran’s internal resistance movements. Ultimately, the episode is a call to awareness, urging listeners to recognize the human cost of extremism and stand with those fighting for freedom, and truth. Topics Include: - Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its role in Iran - Political repression and surveillance in Iran - Iranian refugees seeking asylum in the United States and Canada - IRGC funding of Hamas and Hezbollah - Iran’s anti-Israel ideology and antisemitism - Distinguishing the Iranian people from the Iranian regime - Iranian opposition movements and internal resistance - Terrorism exported by Iran across the Middle East - The impact of October 7 on Iranian dissidents worldwide - Western media narratives about Iran and the IRGC - Jewish solidarity with persecuted communities under authoritarian regimes Follow our guests - Tarlan Rabizadeh on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rabbitarlan/?hl=en Matthew Nouriel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/matthewnouriel/ Mandana Dayani 0n Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mandanadayani/?hl=en 00:00 - VOICES OF IRAN: 3 Persian Jewish Activists on the Uprising 02:33 - Emotional Check-in: Life Right Now 05:00 - Masa Amini and the Women's Uprising 07:25 - Abandoned by the Progressive Left 11:05 - Jewish Community Silence on Iran 15:10 - Being Politically Non-Binary 18:30 - Why Israel Matters to Iranian Jews 22:55 - Why Iranians Lean Conservative 26:55 - Iranian Jewish History Under the Shah 31:15 - Personal Stories: Fleeing Iran 40:45 - Settling in Los Angeles 47:20 - Persian Jewish Identity in America 55:10 - Teaching Judaism Post-October 7th 01:01:15 - "Finish the Jole" Game and Wrap-up #BeingJewish #JonahPlatt #IranRevolution #WomenLifeFreedom #MahsaAmini #IranianJews #IRGC #HumanRights #MiddleEastPolitics #JewishIdentity #Zionism #StopAsianHate #PersianJews #FreeIran