Kayhan London(Subtitled)
Editorial by Kayhan London, written and voiced by Roshanak Astarki
The freedom struggles of contemporary Iran have a history of more than a century; a process that became known as the “history of the awakening of the Iranians.” In the prelude to the Constitutional Movement, Iranian teenagers and school students in Istanbul and other cities around the world were linked to the concept of freedom, law, and the glory of the country, and many of them became famous writers and intellectuals years later.
In the final years of the late Reza Shah’s reign, “Iran” became a serious concern for teenagers, and the development of Iran, with the aim of restoring the country’s historical greatness, was the interest of this generation; during the same period, student movements were formed, and that generation became known as the “children of Reza Shah.”
Today, Iran is also witnessing a generation of young people and teenagers for whom “Iran” is a serious concern. This generation not only has no connection with the 1979 revolution and the intellectual movements that guided and continued it, but the republic that emerged from the 1979 revolution has also failed to tune them into its ideology or engage them with far-fetched scenarios such as “reforms.”
In contrast, the national movement of recent decades has been able to connect the young and adolescent generation with national beliefs and give them the confidence to fly like a Simorgh for the freedom of the nation and the pride of the country. In recent years, active opposition movements, and especially the networks created in the protests of previous years, including in the “Mahsa Revolution,” have been able to connect with this generation and create a bridge between Iranians inside and outside Iran.
The main burden of advancing the wave of contemporary national awakening in practice also lies with this generation. This generation has been the frontrunner in the uprisings of previous years, and even the government admits that young people and even teenagers under the age of 20 have had an active presence in the protests of December 2025. The number of deaths and arrests also indicates that this generation stood for “Iran” to the end of its life and has brought other generations with it.
The sacrifice of this generation and their companions in the December 2025 uprising has entered a new stage for the Iranian freedom movement; despite tens of thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests and injuries, the Iranian nation continues to be present in the scene of struggle with unparalleled courage and steely determination. A presence that has spread from the streets, nightly slogans and participation in the ceremonies of the dead, and the millions of demonstrations on the “International Day of Action”.
The solidarity of the Iranian nation has created a powerful national force that will undoubtedly soon triumph over the half-century-old corrupt government of the Islamic Republic and will lead Iran towards “freedom” and “pride”.
