<\/p>\n
JERUSALEM, Israel\u00a0\u2013 As protests erupt across Iran and reports of mass casualties continue to surface, an Iranian-born lawyer and former Canadian lawmaker is warning the world that the Islamic Republic may be facing its most serious challenge in decades.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview on Jerusalem Dateline<\/em>, activist and attorney Goldie Ghamari\u00a0told CBN News<\/em> that information coming from inside Iran, though difficult to confirm, points to a staggering loss of life as the regime cracks down on nationwide protests.<\/p>\n \u201cThe numbers are unconfirmed, but we\u2019re hearing of at least 30000, if not more,\u201d Ghamari said. \u201cIt is the single largest massacre of Iranians by the Islamic dictatorship since they took over in 1979.\u201d<\/p>\n Internet Blackout, Dire Conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n Ghamari said the Iranian regime has largely shut down internet access, making it nearly impossible to communicate with family members and contacts on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually haven\u2019t heard from my family directly since they shut down the internet last week,\u201d she said. Still, she added, messages filtering out of the country paint a grim picture. \u201cWhat they are saying is that the situation is incredibly dire.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet despite the mounting death toll, Ghamari says Iranians are pressing forward, convinced this moment could finally bring change after nearly half a century of authoritarian rule.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter 47 years, we can see and taste freedom,\u201d she said. \u201cIranians have never been more motivated than ever, and they\u2019re not going to stop until they\u2019re free.\u201d<\/p>\n This Is the Breaking Point<\/strong><\/p>\n When asked whether Iran has reached a point of no return, Ghamari\u2019s answer was unequivocal.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely 100 percent. This is the breaking point,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s war. Iranians are unarmed, and the Islamic dictatorship is bringing in proxy forces.\u201d<\/p>\n She accused the regime of relying on terrorist groups it has long supported across the Middle East to suppress its own population, warning that the violence is escalating rapidly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really is now or never,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we do not overthrow the regime, then every single person who has been slaughtered these last few days it will all have been in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n What Comes After the Regime<\/strong><\/p>\n CBN News<\/em> Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell noted that protests appear to be taking place in all 31 provinces involving millions of Iranians an unprecedented scale compared to past uprisings.<\/p>\n Ghamari said the fall of the regime would bring immediate and far-reaching change.<\/p>\n \u201cFreedom,\u201d she said. \u201cWe would finally have freedom after 47 years. We can finally have a normal country based on the principles of democracy and secularism, like we were prior to 1979.\u201d<\/p>\n She also emphasized that a post-regime Iran could dramatically alter regional dynamics including its relationship with Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cPrior to 1979, Iran and Israel were allies,\u201d she said. \u201cOne of our top priorities in the transitional plan is to reestablish and normalize relationships with Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Ghamari, one key difference in this uprising is the unity among opposition groups, many of whom are rallying behind Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran\u2019s last shah, as a transitional leader.<\/p>\n \u201cYoung people in Iran are saying we are willing to risk our lives if it means we can return our king back to Iran,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ghamari also pointed to what she described as a quiet but significant spiritual transformation underway inside the country.<\/p>\n \u201cChristianity is the number one rising religion in occupied Iran,\u201d she said, noting that many Iranians are turning to the Christian faith despite severe persecution. \u201cChristianity offers love, peace, and hope, whereas Islam is more about hatred and death.\u201d<\/p>\n A Call for Prayer and Action<\/strong><\/p>\n As the interview concluded, Ghamari urged Christians around the world not only to pray for Iran but to speak out.<\/p>\n \u201cPray for us, pray for Iranians,\u201d she said. \u201cBut also reach out to your elected officials and ask them to stand with the Iranian people and declare that the Islamic dictatorship is illegitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n As events continue to unfold, the situation in Iran remains fluid and deeply consequential not only for the Iranian people but for the future of the Middle East and beyond.<\/p>\n ***Please sign up for\u00a0<\/em>CBN Newsletters\u00a0and download the\u00a0<\/em>CBN News app\u00a0to receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" JERUSALEM, Israel\u00a0\u2013 As protests erupt across Iran and reports of mass casualties continue to surface, an Iranian-born lawyer and former Canadian lawmaker is warning the world that the Islamic Republic may be facing its most serious challenge in decades. In an exclusive interview on Jerusalem Dateline, activist and attorney Goldie Ghamari\u00a0told CBN News that information<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[5205,221,5203,4566,5204,963,2976],"class_list":{"0":"post-16650","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jesus","8":"tag-cbn","9":"tag-free","10":"tag-iraniancanadian","11":"tag-iranians","12":"tag-lawmaker","13":"tag-stop","14":"tag-theyre"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16650\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}