Eyes fixed on Iran
Local residents fear for loved ones as tensions continue to rise
TRURO, N.S. – As tensions mount between her birth country and the United States, Truro resident Flora Riyahi has a stark message for President Donald Trump.
“Go back to real estate. You are much better in business than politics,” said Riyahi via Facebook messenger Tuesday.
Hours after she spoke, Iranian missiles struck American military bases in Iraq. The government in Tehran says it is retaliation for the drone killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad Jan. 3.
Riyahi left Iran nearly 40 years ago as revolution gripped her homeland, but like many Persian Canadians she still fears for her family in the old country.
“It is a very sad time for all of us,” said Riyahi.
Riyahi feels Trump ordered Soleimani’s assassination on Jan. 3 to boost his popularity among American voters in an election year.
However, she did not believe the American president’s threat to bomb Iranian historical and cultural sites, some of which date back thousands of years. Riyahi said such a move may harm Trump’s popularity at home, while even breaking international law.
Riyahi’s family is from Shiraz, where her sister Fereshteh still lives. The city is home to the tomb of the poet Hafiz, the centuries-old Regent’s Mosque with its stained-glass windows and the ruins of Persepolis, capital of the ancient Persian empire.
Her other sister Farah and niece Hedieh live in Esfahan, Iran’s former capital. The city is home to the famous Blue Mosque and Chehel Sotoun (Forty Columns) palace, built nearly 400 years ago, as well as several centuries-old stone bridges.
“They are all worried, although 40 years of uncertainty has made them strong and they have accepted the fact a military conflict could happen,” said Riyahi of her family. “There has never been a situation like this before.”
As a child in Iran, Riyahi enjoyed visiting Persepolis, whose stone walls are lined with carvings of soldiers and images of ancient Persian kings. At its height, the Persian Empire stretched from Greece to India.
“Although we are Canadian, we still care about our birthplace,” said Riyahi. “The destruction of any historical site anywhere in the world is disturbing.”