Taped right next to the steering wheel was a small, laminated note. It read: "To my riders: I lost my son 3 days ago. If I speak, I will cry. I need to keep driving to afford his funeral. Please just let me drive you in silence. I am sorry."
My heart completely dropped. I sat there in the back seat, holding back tears, realizing this man was trapped in a moving metal box trying to survive the worst week of his life just to pay a bill. When we arrived, I didn't say a word. I just tipped him the maximum amount possible on the app and walked away. We really have no idea what the stranger next to us is carrying.
🚨 POLL:
Reza Pahlavi has repeatedly called for a democratic and secular Iran, saying the Iranian people deserve freedom, prosperity, and a government chosen by the people.
Do you believe Reza Pahlavi is the best hope for Iran's future?
🅰️ Yes
🅱️ No
🅲️ Not Sure
Reza Pahlavi:
It has never been the case for me to run for office or position. But I'm uniquely placed to be an agent of change and transition.
There's a trust in me.
This exact market was burned down by the Islamic Republic during the January uprising. People trapped inside were either burned alive or shot dead by security forces. Up to 3000 people died
"İyicil milliyetçilik" ile "kötücül milliyetçilik" arasında fark var. İyicil milliyetçilik işte bu, kendi tarihine ve kültürüne sahip çıkma, bir yandan eğlenirken diğer yandan onu dünyaya gösterme. Kompleksiz ve özgüvenli. (Tarkan'ın "Bir Oluruz Yolunda"sında da benzer bir hava vardı).
Kötücül milliyetçilik ise neşeli değil, kompleksli ve agresif. Hep düşmanlarla çevrili olduğuna inanma, güç gösterisi yapma, birilerine gününü gösterme, kendi kültürünü nedensiz üstün görmeye dayalı bir zihniyetin dışavurumu.
Bizdekinin hangisine yakın olduğunu söylemeyeyim ama tahmin etmesi zor değil.
Exactly, very well noted. While the western world enjoys the pleasure of watching live football games in stadiums, Iranian women can’t.
Why? Because of Islamic law.
Women in Iran are banned from stadiums, singing solo in public, dancing, kissing their partner in public, wearing shorts, walking their pet — the list just goes on!
But none of the women supporting regime speak of this. They just casual wave the flag of Islamic regime that drips with the blood of millions of Iranians over the past 47 years.
Don't ever tell Iranians that the Lion and Sun flag is "banned". We've survived 47 years of brutal and savage 7th century Islamic oppression.
FIFA 0 - Iranians 1
It's fun being called a traitor for not supporting the Islamic Republic's football team. No darling I'm not full of self hatred and I'm not an Israeli bot. I love my people but a team that sucks up to the regime is not my team. So cry harder
Why do @FIFAWorldCup and the free press bend over backwards to protect the Islamic Republic? The fact that cameras at the World Cup purposely cut off the shots of Iran fans to exclude their Lion and Sun flags is baffling. We should not have to convince anyone to care about the horrors this regime has inflicted on innocent Iranians for decades.
ÚLTIMA HORA: Un aficionado iraní en el Mundial sostenía un cartel que decía: "¿Dónde está Rashid Mazaheri?"
Mazaheri, el exportero de Irán, fue secuestrado por la Guardia Revolucionaria en enero tras denunciar los asesinatos injustificados de manifestantes por parte del régimen.
While current and former teammates play or comment on #BELIRN, Rashid Mazaheri remains imprisoned.
More than 100 days.
Not a single word from many who once shared the pitch with him.
His sister's only wish was for Ali's photo to be seen in the stadium.
Today, the name and image of the immortal #علی_قربانی live on beyond the walls of every stadium in the memory of Iranians.