While freedom of religion and expression form the basis of human dignity, the authoritarian regime continues to restrain these fundamental rights. Two of the world's most oppressive governments, China's Communist Party and Iran's Islamic Republic, follow the same playbook. It silences those who challenge ideological domination. The persecution of Shen Yun and Bahai communities serves as a sober evidence of this shared agenda.
Shen Yun, a globally acclaimed performing arts group, is dedicated to reviving traditional Chinese culture through music and dance. In most cases, this mission seems harmless – perhaps worthy of praise. But that's not the case with CCP. For the administration, Shen Yun represents rebellion. This group celebrates China's rich spiritual and cultural heritage. Worse, Shen Yun dares to expose CCP human rights abuses at the global stage.
It cannot be allowed to decide who regimes like China or Iran to exist, which cultures can thrive, or which beliefs are accepted.
In response, the CCP has been running an aggressive campaign against the group. Spread propaganda, trust Shen Yun, disrupt performance around the world, and launch merciless cyberattacks. However, despite a lack of government funding and major corporate sponsorship, Shen Yun denied all possibilities. It becomes a losing success story and stands strong against one of the most powerful regimes in the world.
This story resonates deeply with me as I first experienced the meaning of living under a regime that fears freedom of thinking. I was born into a family in Bahai, Iran. There, the Islamic Republic launched a decades-long persecution campaign of persecution against Bahais, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority. Because of the “crime” of practicing their faith, Bahays have been imprisoned, tortured, executed and systematically denied from education and employment.
When I was 11, my family fled Iran, leaving us with our home, our community and everything we were familiar with. We were not activists or threats to the nation. We were ordinary people who believed that “crime” was different.
That persecution continues today. Just recently, Iranian authorities arrested 13 Bahais and accused them of “conversion.” This is a vague, unfounded accusation that the administration routinely uses to justify brutal crackdowns. The government's message is clear. There is no room for diversity and there is no tolerance for beliefs that challenge their imposed ideology.
The hypocrisy of these administrations is phenomenal. The CCP interns more than a million Uighur Muslims in concentration camps and was exposed to forced labor, sterilization and “reeducation.” But its close ally, the Islamic Republic of Iran, claims to defend Muslims around the world, remains silent. This refusal to condemn China's abuses exposes Iran's overlap and proves that its priorities integrate power rather than protecting Islam.
It is their common fear of cultural and spiritual diversity that unites the CCP and the Islamic Republic. Authoritarian regimes thrive in control of mind, belief, and story. These groups target groups like Shen Yun and Bahá'ís, as they represent what Tyrants fear most: resilience in the human mind.
Shen Yun's performance celebrates the beauty and depth of Chinese civilization. This has been spent decades and decades pursuing ideological conformance by CCPs. Similarly, the Bahai faith places a focus on unity and justice, challenging the merciless oppression of the Islamic Republic against beliefs that could undermine its authority. In both cases, these regimes view cultural and spiritual expression as direct threats to absolute control.
The interests of these battles go far beyond China and Iran. Religion and freedom of expression are universal values, and the erosion of these rights is threatened everywhere. When the authoritarian regime suppresses objections without consequences, they burn others and do the same.
I'm not writing this as an outsider with abstract concerns. My life was uprooted by tyranny. I still remember the fear of living under a regime that hated my family because of our beliefs. I will never forget the strength that took me to escape that oppression and rebuild my life in freedom.
It cannot be allowed to decide who regimes like China or Iran to exist, which cultures can thrive, or which beliefs are accepted. Their playbook relies on fear and control, but history shows that these tactics ultimately fail in the face of courage and solidarity.
