Seven Years Ago Today… It was exactly seven years ago today that I left my beloved homeland, Iran, for political reasons. I was just 18 years old—young, determined, and deeply involved in the fight against the brutal Islamic regime that has ruled our country since 1979. I began blogging at the age of 15, became a human rights activist at 16, and by 17, I was leading street protests. My courage came at a cost: I was arrested five times and subjected to severe, inhumane torture—something I thankfully only endured once. By 2010, three different government security agencies were pursuing my friends and me. I was summoned to the Revolutionary Court, where I was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Soon after, I was labeled a Mohareb (enemy of God) and publicly shamed on national television. The police even submitted a photo of me leading a protest that was published in a federal newspaper. I was expelled from university and forced into hiding, moving from city to city under fake iden...