Demand a Non-Nuclear, Secular Republic to End the Reign of Terror
By: Iman Sharif, Iranian American Student Activist & Founding Member of the OIAC’s Youth Chapter
In Iran today, a powerful movement is sweeping through the nation’s youth—who make up more than half of the population—demanding profound change. They envision a non-nuclear, secular republic where their voices, choices, and rights are finally respected. Disillusioned by decades of repression, economic hardship, and isolation, young Iranians are now standing defiantly against the clerical regime, widely referred to as the “head of the snake” in the turbulent Middle East. The recent surge in executions, meticulously documented by human rights experts, appears to be Tehran’s latest tactic to instill fear amidst rising unrest. Yet this strategy reveals the regime’s desperation to cling to control over a society increasingly united in its desire for regime change.
Organizing in groups known as Resistance Units Iranian youth are mobilizing with determination to dismantle a system they believe has robbed them of a future and destabilized the region. Their call for freedom, dignity, and self-determination is not about mere reforms; it is about uprooting a regime that has long failed its people. They dream of an Iran free from clerical rule and free from any potential return to a monarchy. Hyper-connected through technology and social media, this generation is keenly aware of the rights and freedoms enjoyed in other nations. They recognize Iran’s potential to prosper economically and engage peacefully with the world rather than remain isolated by nuclear ambitions and repressive policies.
At the core of their vision is a future, where resources fuel education, innovation, and economic welfare, instead of executions, warfare, and terrorism. For these young Iranians, ending the regime’s nuclear pursuits and oppressive tactics is essential to achieving true freedom and joining the global community.
In recent months alone, the Iranian regime under the leadership of its supreme leader and its new so-called “reformist” president, has executed over 200 people, including many women—a barbaric attempt to silence dissent. To put an end to this brutality, Iran’s Resistance Units are rallying for a new era, one free from clerical rule and military threats. Their vision of a non-nuclear, secular republic embodies a hope for a future rooted in human rights and democratic freedoms. Now, more than ever, the world must heed their call and support their struggle to end Tehran’s oppressive reign and usher in a new era of Iran, an Iran which is a model country that is as beneficial to the world as it is to its people.
About the Author:
Iman Sharif (@Imanshrf1) is a second-generation Iranian American student activist and founding member of the Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC) Youth Chapter based in California.
About the OIAC:
The Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan network of Iranian-American societies from 40 different states across America. The OIAC is the largest organization of Persian-Americans in the United States, helping Iranian Americans advocate for greater democracy in their homeland since 1997. An Iranian American organization that is dedicated to the promotion of a free and democratic Iran where human rights are celebrated, where different religions traditions are honored, and where every Iranian citizen feels safe and able to pursue their individual dreams and aspirations. The OIAC serves as a platform for Iranian opposition forces working on human rights issues and actively engaged in improving relations between Iran and the United States. The OIAC is a resource for Iranian community organizations in the United States that want to lend their voices to the call for democratic change in Iran. For more information, visit www.oiac.org or follow on X (Twitter) @OrgIAC
