Mercede Shahinkar’s Struggle for Freedom

Mercede Shahinkar understands the true cost of freedom. The Iranian mother and activist now resides in California, bearing the lasting scars of the oppressions inflicted by the Islamic Republic.

In October 2022, during the Women, Lives, Freedom protests, she lost the sight in her right eye after being shot by security forces.

Shahinkar, who is in her early 40s, expressed, “I still say it was worth it for the freedom of my homeland.” Reflecting on her experiences, she added, “My deepest sadness is that I wish I had stood beside people on the streets of Iran right now.”

“Even if I go blind in one eye and have endured this pain for three years, I will still go back to the streets,” she stated with resolve.

Now living in exile, Shahinkar is urgently appealing to President Trump for assistance in toppling the regime that took her vision and disrupted her family life.

Her upheaval began three years ago when she joined protests against the government’s compulsory hijab law. Shahinkar described the experience of losing her eye as “terrifying,” yet her opposition to the regime remains unwavering.

She explained that her migration to the United States wasn’t a personal choice but a “forced migration” after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked her home and threatened her family.

Currently, she is raising her daughter while attempting to rebuild her life, navigating challenges that are all too real. Shahinkar continues to be a vocal advocate for the voiceless in Iran.

She is demanding not just diplomatic statements but decisive military and technical action from President Trump, including strikes on military sites and weapons stores belonging to the Revolutionary Guards. She insists, too, that the U.S. should cease all business with Iranian officials.

Shahinkar emphasized, “The Iranian people are deeply grateful to President Trump, and they are also deeply grateful to Israel,” pointing out that the removal of key figures like Qassem Soleimani brought “relief and happiness” to many.

While many initially perceived the protests as focused on the hijab, Shahinkar argues that the movement has transformed into a broader demand for systemic change.

She claims that the current regime is committing “crimes against humanity,” with estimates of deaths exceeding 2,500.

Supporting Prince Reza Pahlavi as the preferred leader of a potential new Iran, she warned that the regime’s promises of reform are merely “utter lies” designed to stall progress.

“Words are no longer enough,” Shahinkar said firmly. “Closing your eyes means complicity. … This news cannot be just a newspaper headline. There must be action.”