Lessons learned from the tyranny of the Islamic Revolution in Iran

The organisers of the event

Sheila Nazarian shares her thoughts with Cape Town Jewish women

American celebrity, Sheila Nazarian, of Netflix fame, believes that we should all speak out against the antisemitism so prevalent in the world since the attacks in Israel on October 7th. “Don’t be afraid of being politically incorrect. And don’t be afraid of being called names,” she advised a large group of Cape Town Jewish women during a UJC/SAZF Women’s Month event held in August. The livestream event was facilitated by Tamara Davidson, with Sheila generously giving of her time to talk to us from Los Angeles. 

A plastic surgeon by profession, Sheila has become well-known in many countries for her Netflix show, ‘Skin Decision: Before and After’. But, today, she is also recognised for her pro-Israel, anti-hatred activism. She highlighted that she is driven by her belief in free speech, a right that she argues is exemplified by the democracy seen in her home country, America. 

Her appreciation of being in a country known to stand up for free speech was entrenched through her own family’s story. While she was born in the United States, her parents had come to the USA from Iran. Returning to Iran in 1979, they were inadvertently caught up in the Islamic Revolution, and were unable to leave to return to America. At the age of six, Sheila, her sister and her mother were smuggled out of Iran via Pakistan, an extremely risky experience during which she had her first taste of antisemitism. As she explained, “We were staying in a hotel in Pakistan and a woman there spat on me when she found out that I am Jewish. That experience has stayed with me for all these years.”  

Deciding to speak out against the antisemitism and anti-Zionist sentiment seen all over the world post-October 7th, she was initially concerned that her comments in the public sphere, largely on social media platforms, could cost her in her medical practice because of people refusing to consult her because of her political views. In fact, the opposite happened: she has gained new patients who choose her for taking a stance. 

While her activism has increased in recent months, she started speaking out about four years ago, launching her social media commentary with the hashtag #shabbatshalom.

Sheila expressed the concern that approximately 50% of young Americans are anti-Israel and, since they will be the leaders in American society soon, we need to act against them. She believes that we need to speak out all the time, and that we should be teaching our children the truth about their history in terms of Israel, so that they can respond to the fake news, the lies, the untruths that have become so much a part of the narrative about Israel/Palestine today.

Sheila does not mince her words about the reality of what is happening in our world. “Iranian revolutionaries believe in the destruction of Jews worldwide,” she cautions. ”Now, more than ever, we as Jews need to stick together and to be proud Jews.”

What can South Africans do to fight antisemitism?

Sheila’s advice for us in South Africa is:

•  Invest in the social media warriors within our community
•  Engage in proactive storytelling that tells the other side of the story
•  Get closer to those who support Israel, such as many Christians. Invite them to your Shabbat supper and develop relationships with these people.

Tamara reminded us that South Africa has the most advanced Constitution in the world. That means that we can speak out and
that we should demand our rights in terms of freedom of speech.


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