Ex-Palestine supporter criticises movement for selective focus

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 31 Oct, 18:24 · Archive

Parishad Kavyani, born in Iran and raised in Canada, has left the pro-Palestine movement after two years, saying it cherry-picks between oppressors.

Parishad Kavyani, who was born in the Islamic Republic of Iran and moved to Canada at 14, has left the pro-Palestine movement after two years of active support. She says the movement became 'ideology-driven, not human rights driven' and was damaged by 'liberal intellectualism' that focused on oppressors rather than the human rights of all affected.

Kavyani told Fox News Digital that she had never experienced 'the amount of homophobia, racism and sexism' in the past nine months as she had from leftists, 'from the very people that I marched with for over two years for a free Palestine'. She left the movement after supporters began posting content supporting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

She criticises the movement for its approach to Iranian women's rights. 'They advocate for liberation of people, they advocate for women's rights, but when it comes to Iranian women wanting freedom, wanting the freedom to wear whatever they want, they suddenly are quiet — and not only quiet, but they support the oppressor,' she said. 'That's my issue… they cherry-pick between oppressors.' Kavyani says her experience growing up in Iran, where she was exposed to state propaganda about Israel and Palestine, shaped her understanding of how the movement operates.

How it is being reported

• Ex-Palestine supporter blasts ‘insane’ movement for ‘cherry-picking’ oppressorsThe Iranian-born Canadian says the movement she supported for two years became 'ideology-driven, not human rights driven'New York Post · 31 Oct, 18:11
• DEPROGRAMMED: Ex-Palestine supporter blasts 'insane' movement for 'cherry-picking' oppressorsParishad Kavyani says Palestinian supporters cherry-pick between oppressors and stay silent on Iranian women wanting freedom and basic rights.Fox News · 31 Oct, 11:00

In this story: Parishad Kavyani · Iran · Canada · Israel · Palestine · Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log