“We have two kinds of oppression. Oppression that is universal – everyone in Iran is subject to it. But everyone has also their own, unique way of experiencing this oppression.”

The Shah’s regime was an incorrigible regime and after a while, when the revolution happened.

They obviously collected a lot of votes, but these monies could not solve the structural problems that these people face. But the only result, the only consequence, was that a big sum from the budget was wasted this way.

When I say that I am opposed to this budget, everyone says, “Well, what do you think the United States should do?” My response is, “Why should the United States do anything?”

We must struggle for creating a democratic system that is dedicated to democracy and human rights.

He never made economic promises to people and as a result, he never led to dissatisfaction in this perspective. Because they need to get votes, they use misleading slogans. And this leads to rising expectations. I had a personal experience.

The Revolutionary Guard was created to help defend the revolution, but it soon was diverted from its initial path.

In the West, when all of these reactors, nuclear reactors, are matters…part of the public domain, there are all kinds of supervision over them.

In a totalitarian state, the state views any act of an individual to be political in nature. For example, the clothing that a person wears in a modern state is a private affair whereas in the Islamic Republic all women are forced to wear the hijab (Islamic attire).

Revolutions invariably don’t solve the issue of justice, and in its place, suppression and limiting freedom replaces that idea.

The U.S. should start talking about disarmament, nuclear disarmament, of the region.

Recently, we witnessed massive demonstration by Iranian woman in the 7th of Tir square, and it was brutally suppressed.

The difference between us and the other side is that they use populist and…kind of slogans that are…they fool the people.

In Iran, where everything is covert, we have no firsthand information.

The lower strata are suffering all kinds of oppression and the injustice that is inflicted upon them has many faces and many facets.

Even theories of secularism are constantly being revised and changed.

It began early in the revolution. It was a process that was unfolding on a daily basis. We expected the system to be dispensing justice, but every day that passed by.

I learned to ride a ten-speed when I was 4 or 5. My uncle gave me the bike, hand-me-down, and everyone used to stare at me riding up and down this block. I was too short to reach the pedals, so I put my legs through the V of the frame. I was famous. The little kid who could ride the ten-speed.

Everyone says they want community and friendship. But mention accountability or commitment to people, and they run the other way.

Everyone thought I was going to die like a year later, they didn’t know.

One of the reasons inequality gets so deep in this country is that everyone wants to be rich. That’s the American ideal.

Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love.

Everyone’s supposed to stay in their lines and be neat. ‘You’re a rapper. You’re supposed to rap, carry a boom box, wear chains, and go to the club – that’s all you do. What are you doing collecting art?

Donald Trump says five things: everyone’s dumb, he’s going to make America great again, we’re going to win, win, win. He’s winning in the polls.

O yes, everyone gets lonely some time or other.