You are an Amnesty International Spokesperson, why did you choose this organization to work with as opposed to others? Growing up in London, I remember watching entertainers I admired like John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson and the guys of Monty Python, Bob Geldof and Sting perform in the Secret Policeman’s Ball, an annual televised benefit concert that raised money for Amnesty International so I was very aware of this great organization. When personally considering a philanthropic partner who could use my voice most effectively, I was inspired by the way they educate and engage millions of individuals to advocate those in need, and because of their strong history of support from musicians such as Sting, Bruce Springstein, U2, Nicolas Cage, and Jennifer Hudson I knew they are able to work within the entertainment industry to appropriately utilize artists to rally the widest group of people possible to affect positive change, that is really what being a spokesperson is all about. Artists and entertainers were the first group of people to make me aware of what human rights are. Now, if I can have just a fraction of the impact on future generations through my human rights advocacy that the artists I grew up watching and admiring had on me, I would be thrilled. In the broad spectrum of Amnesty’s reach which issues have you tried to advocate personally and why? Over the past two years I have focused my attention on 3 main areas. The first has been general human rights advocacy, using my platform to help educate new generations on the 30 articles of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and how we are all compromised when human rights are violated. It is my dream to have human rights education be part of every high school curriculum across the world, because knowledge is power and you cannot defend what you do not know. The Second has been lending my support to the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), the only piece of legislation I have read that provides an effective solution to the global epidemic of violence toward women and girls. I believe it is a vital step toward world peace. The third and most intense area of focus has been campaigning for human rights in my homeland of Iran. Most recently, I had the pleasure of partnering with the wonderful rock band, The Airborne Toxic Event, on ‘The Neda Project’ respectfully named after a young Iranian woman, Neda Agha-Soltan, who was brutally shot while peacefully protesting the election results in the streets of Tehran. This was a series of events held in conjunction with the one year anniversary of the disputed presidential election, and in support of the human rights movement in Iran. Neda has become the face of the resistance and symbolizes the struggle for freedom in that country. Tell me about any one issue you wish the world knew more about and focused more on. There is a growing child prostitution and sex slavery crisis in Iran that has been exasperated by its discriminatory treatment of women. Since sex is such a taboo subject in much of the Middle East, there is no room for public discourse on how women and girls can protect themselves against sexual predators, unwanted pregnancies, and infectious disease. Unfortunately, one of the tragic consequences
has been a spike in HIV/AIDS infection in recent years. Education and awareness would go a long way in helping solve this devastating problem worldwide.
ness of the industry. I look forward to the day when an Iranian actor can open a movie in the U.S. and across the world. I don’t think we are too far away from that day.
As a woman, what would you say to the Iranian women fighting for their rights in the country today? Women in Iran have proven their tenacity and steadfast devotion to human rights. Not only have they been at the forefront of the protests against the disputed presidential election of 2009, but for years they have been the driving force in campaigns for democracy, equality, and freedom. That’s why they have been dubbed “Shir-Zan” or “lioness”, because of their incredible fearlessness in the face of tyranny. I am in awe of these women. They are true heroines, each and every one. And when the women of a country are this brave, they set an incredible example for their children to follow, and there can only be optimism for the future of that society.
What can you tell us about your latest film? I had the good fortune of working on a wonderfully smart and witty short film last year, called Diplomacy, which is currently playing in the international film festival circuit. Diplomacy was written and directed by Jon Goldman, who last directed Grey’s Anatomy’s Sandra Oh, in the 2005 short film Kind of a Blur. It is a political comedy that examines the possibility of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran, and how subtle changes in rhetoric can potentially change the course of history, for better or worse.
The majority of rapes in Iran go unreported to the authorities because of the lack of public knowledge in victim advocacy and the government’s inability to adopt laws which protect women instead of wrongfully persecuting them for allowing themselves to get caught in a situation where they might lose their chastity. As an ambassador for human rights, would you agree with this statement and what are your thoughts on the matter? The accusation of rape is a very sensitive subject for public discussion in Iran for several reasons: Firstly, the Islamic Republic’s penal system views the testimony of women as having half the value of a man’s. Such discrimination has had terrible repercussions on how women are perceived and treated by society. Secondly, rape does not constitute a separate criminal offense in the Iranian Penal Code and the rape of women is dealt with by the Judiciary under the zena provisions of the Code, or “penetrative sexual relations outside marriage”. Under Islamic law, such offenses are considered crimes against God, rather than crimes against a person, and are thus punishable by the death penalty. So, even if a woman can prove that penetration did in fact occur, she would be in danger of being executed due to the loss of chastity and a “crime against God”. The cumulative effect of these oppressive laws, make it almost impossible for women to speak out and seek justice when raped. Any kind of meaningful victim advocacy can only exist once these unjust laws have been rewritten to protect rape victims, rather than to punish them. What do you think about Hollywood as a place for Iranian performers? When I first started auditioning in 2006, Hollywood had a post-9/11 mentality toward Middle Eastern actors. There was an abundance of casting calls for terrorists, battered wives and store clerks. However, with the unfortunate political climate also came an ever increasing demand for Iranian actors, which seems to have encouraged more of our youth to study the performing arts and join the auditioning pool. So, over time the number of Iranian actors working in Hollywood has increased, which I count as a blessing. Fortunately, the roles are becoming far more mainstream, and less stereotypical. For example, ABC recently shot a pilot episode for Funny in Farsi, based on the book by Firoozeh Dumas, so it seems we are being more accepted in the social conscious-
If you could play the lead in any film based on any Persian fable which story would it be and why this one? I would love to play the role of Manijeh in the love story Bijan and Manijeh, from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. It is an Iranian Romeo and Juliet story, except for there is a happy ending: Bijan falls in love with Manijeh, daughter of the king of Turan and enemy of Iran, Afrasiyab. After Afrasiyab punishes Bijan by ordering him to be imprisoned in a deep well in the desert, and banishes Manijeh to that same dessert, Manijeh digs a tunnel to Bijan’s prison, begs for food every day and takes it to him to keep him alive. She later helps the great Iranian hero, Rostam rescue Bijan from the pit. Her strength, determination, loyalty and love for Bijan are unwavering throughout. It would make a beautiful epic feature film. Which performers do you admire the most who have influenced you as an actor? I fell in love with the idea of acting when I first watched Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Her on-screen charm is simply unparalleled. What is your dream role? I love playing powerful women with an underlying frailty and a complex inner conflict to resolve. I’m particularly drawn to period pieces. There’s something very magical about being able to transport an audience to another era, whether it is Biblical, set during the Persian or Roman Empires, or the Renaissance. I am also passionate about taking on a role in a film with a strong human rights theme, such as Rachel Weisz’s character in The Constant Gardner. It would be an exceptionally fulfilling way to fuse my work as an activist with my craft as a performer. If Azar Nafisi’s memoir, Reading Lolita in Tehran, should ever be turned into a feature film, it would be a dream to play any one of Ms. Nafisi’s students, each of whom possesses the type of free-thinking bravado and inner conviction needed to challenge an oppressive society and eventually break the chains of tyranny. Any upcoming projects we should be looking out for? I will be appearing in Paul Haggis’s upcoming movie, The Next Three Days, which is scheduled to hit theaters in November 2010. It is a remake of the 2008 French film, Pour Elle. It was such an honor working with Paul. He is incredibly nurturing and supportive of his actors. He is also a devoted human rights activist whom I have a ton of respect for. And the experience of acting opposite Russell Crowe was incredibly powerful.
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