The Loneliness of Diaspora Grief: Remembering Bloody Aban

In this episode of Halva for the Heart, I reflect on Bloody Aban - the brutal massacre that killed over 1500 Iranian protestors in November of 2019 - and what it means to grieve this atrocity from diaspora six years later. I revisit the fear and confusion of those five days in 2019 when Iran’s internet was shut down, hundreds were killed, and many of us outside the country were feeling utterly alone in our grief. I also share the stories of five martyrs in particular, honoring their lives and the unbearable cost of state violence.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• what made Bloody Aban feel so isolating for Iranians in diaspora
• how Western media silence and orientalism shaped whose suffering was acknowledged and whose wasn’t
• why the grief of Bloody Aban hardened in our bodies differently than other collective traumas
• the privilege (and responsibility) of diaspora safety, and what it makes possible in our healing
• why some grief (like that of Bloody Aban) may take years before we feel ready to face it

🌹 This episode is an invitation to turn toward this grief gently with spaciousness, honesty, and compassion for where we each are in our process.

Links:
📘 Abangan Guidebook for Ancestral Reclamation
🗺️ Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran’s Map of Protestor Suppression
❤️‍🩹 Join us in Dard-e Del

The five martyrs honored in this episode:
🥀 Mohammad Dastankhah: Born in 2004, in Shiraz
🥀 Mina Sheikhi: Born in Kurdistan, lived in Tehran
🥀 Mohsen Mohammadpur: Born in 2002, in Khuzestan
🥀 Puya Bakhtiari: Born in 1992, in Karaj
🥀 Farzad Ansarifar: Born in 1992, in Khuzestan

If you'd like to share what this episode brought up for you...

• Leave me a 90 second voice note
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Learn more about my work at my website www.hafezdeathcare.com
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🎵 Theme song: 'Lullaby' by Iranian oud player Negâr Boubân