Lily Moo is used to death threats: in the past 14 months, 19 against her have been reported to the police. An Iranian in London, she has been leading Woman, Life, Freedom marches in her adopted home — calling for a feminist revolution in the Islamic republic — for more than a year. But right now, she is in hiding. After her defiant speech at the pro-Israel vigil earlier this month went viral, a man came up to her in the street and told her that, now she was speaking up for Jewish people, killing her would be justified within Islam. “He said my blood was halal which means they believe they have divine permission to take my life,” she tell me. “My sin is Zionism.”
Lily Moo is a pseudonym; she is too worried to use her real name. When she leaves the house, she wears a disguise. The police have been advising her about how to stay safe. Most recently, she attended a joint Jewish and Iranian event for peace. Since then, she has been “in a kind of prison”.
“It is really horrible to be in London and having to hide from extremist Islamic groups,” she says. “It feels like it was in the days before my family left Iran, when women couldn’t leave the house. I knew the Iranian secret services were already keeping an eye on me — making the odd threat.” But now, other Islamic groups seem to be watching her, which “makes it twice as scary”.
Lily Moo is not the only Iranian who is in danger for speaking up for Israel. In Iran itself, supporters of Israel communicate using secret social-media accounts because they know others have been “vanished” for doing the same. Closer to home, another dissident, Vahid Beheshti, has been protesting outside the Foreign Office for 10 months, in an effort to get the British government to prescribe the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. Recently, he started flying an Israeli flag alongside his Persian one. One Saturday, as a pro-Palestinian demonstration marched past, someone took his Israeli flag — and as he gave chase he was warned he would be beheaded. The man who is alleged to have made the threat was later arrested by police and found to have a knife on him.
The danger is very real. Last year, MI5 foiled at least 10 potential IRGC plots to kidnap or kill people in Britain. In February, the dissident Persian language satellite station Iran International moved from London to Washington because of threats to its staff.
Both Lily and Vahid are understandably frightened, but determined to keep speaking out at pro-Israel events. “It is a duty,” says Lily Moo, whose family left Iran when she was 13, as the growing power of the “morality police” became suffocating. “The danger people are facing from Iran and its proxies… is not just about Iranian people, it is not just about Israel: it is about all of us.”
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SubscribeMy sincere thanks to these brave people from Iran. But ‘thanks’ is too small and shabby a word for your words and sacrifice. May God bless you and yours for your good deeds.
At last, the reality is explained by someone so closely involved. Israel is the ‘Forlorn Hope*’ in the war Islam is waging on EVERYONE else. It isn’t Israeli’s who bomb our trains, buses and kill young girls at pop concerts in Manchester.
Forlorn Hope as in the ‘First troop storming the citadel’
Contrast these people’s conviction and courage with the rank spinelessness of those in the US and UK who fear provoking the woke mob. Or those who are now supporting Hamas and Bin Laden. What empty, piss poor excuses for human beings they are.
A very brave thing to say Mr Starkbreath.
Not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not.
I’m rather more outspoken than most against the evil that is wokery. Even so, we have to recognise that the livelihoods of many very sadly depend on appeasing the woke.
It really is an Enlightened Judeo-Christian struggle against barbarism. I’ve met strong voices from Evin prison. Solitary confinement burned the fearful tolerance of tyranny from their hearts. The Iranian regime truly molds its own worst enemies. It will not stand.
Your post is only relevant if you add a timescale. “It will not stand.” is totally meaningless. This Judeo-Christian struggle has been going for a thousand years so far. What will stop it?
Judeo-Christian struggle ?? Islam had nothing to do with Nazi coldblooded mass slaughter of Jews. And Muslims have welcomed Jews fleeing persecution from Christian Europe
I always wondered, what is radicalising young muslims in the West? Are they a product of radical mullahs? If so, why aren’t authorities arresting these radicals for disturbing peace? Are sermons of hate allowed under free speech?
This is a really good question, one that I think about a lot. I don’t think there could be an easy answer.
In theory (and unlike most religions) you can only read the Koran and other holy literature if you read it in its original Arabic. Today, spoken Arabic has changed so much that very few can read the old version – the Imams act as translators, so that the message to each citizen is from his local Imam and not from the book. You can see how this could be distorted.
Back in the 1520s you could only read the Bible in Latin and almost nobody could read Latin, except the priests. (This was the time when the priests sold indulgences to their flock to speed the way into heaven – corrupt). Martin Luther came along, and others less famous, and the Bible was translated into the vernacular so that everyone could read it.
One of the big ‘issues’ between Islam and other religions is the role of women. Imagine a man who is totally in control of his family until the women want to have an opinion, as in the west – the stress in that situation would give anyone mental problems.
Yes. Sermons of hate are allowed under free speech; ay least, here in the US. But we never had to deal with something like fundamentalist Islam before.
In Britain they arrest people for saying hateful things.
No they don’t. They arrest people for saying hateful things the Wokerati think hateful. OR when the public outcry is so great they can’t not arrest an Islamic preacher etc.
https://twitter.com/jakewsimons/status/1731291648364072995
I’d say the wine-swilling cultural Muslim’s happy retreat into Idpol and jihad as decolonial politics to appease the biopower of the mullah and the blm activist
I’d say the wine-swilling cultural Muslim’s happy retreat into Idpol and jihad as decolonial politics, done not with conviction or will but rather to appease the biopower of the mullah and the blm activist
Actually this is a very easy question. Just read the Quran. It sanctifies and encourages violence against Jews and other Kafirs. This makes it a political ideology and not a religion. It must be outlawed by the governments but apparently there is no backbone to do this.
If it isn’t done soon, there will be a bloodbath.
Have you read the Old Testament?
I been to six events since 7/10 for release of Israeli hostages and the rally against Antisemitism. There was strong Iranian presence in all, which surprised and heartened me as a Jew with family and friends in Israel, for whom this was also an eye opener.
These people are insanely brave and get very little support in their struggle against the oppressive and terrorist supporting regime in Iran. I hope that Jews around the world will repay them in equal solidarity.
Footage of Iranian students “deliberately avoiding walking over Israeli and American flags” is from 12 January 2020. Just open the link and look (https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-51084619). Nothing whatsoever to do with recent events. If Unherd/Nicole Lampert do not admit the error (say nothing or just delete the link without saying anything), this gives me all I need to know about continuing my new subscription.
I’m aware of the footage that you refer to (in a Tehran university I think), however I have seen other footage recently about the football match and also other footage of youngsters refusing to condemn Israel.
The overthrow of the evil regime is Iran is the only route that I can see for peace in the middle east
“Today, there are just 10,000 in the country.” I’ve seen several different estimates for the numer of Jews still living in Iran — ranging from 8500 to about 15,000. Regardless, the fact it isn’t zero has always baffled me. Perhaps they had good reasons for staying put that I will never fully appreciate or understand. But it’s difficult to imagine any of them are now thinking it was a wise decision.
Iran actually has, consitutionally, post-79, a reserved Jewish seat in it’s Parliament.
Strange bedfellows indeed!
Masha Amini was murdered for being Kurdish. In Iran only Arabic or Persian names are allowed. Her Kurdish name was not recognized. This is how Islam stamps out cultures – it mandates Arabic. Once “Iranians” accept this, they accept the hijab and all that goes with it.
Yes, gratitude for Lily Moo’s courage is the correct emotion. But also, there should be rage at the weak and cowardly UK leaders who do not publically and loudly stand up and speak against the problem.. The PROBLEM IS ISLAM. The Muslims who do so much as look cross-eyed at Lily Moo should be deported immediately.
Western governments need to define Islam for what it is – a political ideology that is incompatible with democracy. Over half of the precepts of Islam are political in nature …. that is …. designed to regulate the behaviour of the kafir. Lily Moo is being oppressed by Islam because the UK leaders are allowing Islam to deny her the freedom to speak, and they would like to deprive her of her very life.
Leaders in the West MUST protect it from Islam. Define it and forbid it. Kick out the adherents who believe that killing is the way to be a good Muslim. Islam needs reform but in the words of Imam Tawhidi, Islam cannot be reformed. He believes the Muslim community can be reformed. I do not agree with him, however in order to test this theory, the UK governments MUST outlaw political Islam.
let her go and spend the weekend in GAZA or the West Bank lets then see her support for Israel?? a traitor to her country and a fool who has not grasped the reality of the Apartheid Zionist Israel State. The fool does not realise for her to live in Israel and try to be a resident or citizen she would need 1 serious wish from the Genie in the lamp!!
With friends like the green-haired “Lily Moo”, who needs enemies? Seriously, those degenerates look more like the far-left anti-Netanyahu protesters from a few months ago than serious, decent persons.
Let’s hear it from the rednecks…
So your opinion is based on hair color, not ideology, human rights or bravery?
Appearances can be deceptive, hence the biblical phrase
“by their fruits shall you know them.”
Lily Moo appears to bear very good fruit if she is anti-Iranian Mullah.