Elika L. Ben, Iranian-American Activist: I Am the Daughter of Iran and I Have Been Attacked

Elika L. Ben, an Iranian-American artist and activist, published an article in Newsweek on Monday, September 22, sharing insights from her life and personal experiences. In her article titled "I Am the Daughter of Iran and I Have Been Attacked," she describes various forms of harassment by the Islamic Republic against critics and opponents of the government. Elika points out that her mother was imprisoned by the Islamic Republic before her birth in the 1980s, stating that the regime was very "ruthless" in its early years, executing opponents on various pretexts, often for minor accusations. According to Elika, her mother was very fortunate not to be executed along with other political prisoners and was eventually released. This Iranian-American activist and lawyer continues by recounting the stories of her aunt, uncle, and other family members, who were arrested and tortured by the Islamic Republic. She writes that these bitter experiences and psychological trauma led her to choose the path of activism after her family immigrated to Britain. Elika L. Ben recalls that in the 1980s, the Islamic Republic sent agents to the West to assassinate its opponents, but over time, with increasing sanctions and international arrest warrants, the regime changed its methods. She adds that today, the Iranian government uses various tactics, including "internet bots," to exacerbate conflicts among its opponents on social media and discredit them in the eyes of the public. This Iranian-American activist writes that this "character assassination" is carried out by internet bots and agents of the Islamic Republic in the virtual space through the widespread dissemination of rumors and false information on social media. Elika L. Ben further states that after the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, she became the target of a coordinated campaign due to her statements. This Iranian-American activist says that in messages and videos circulated, she was labeled as a Mossad spy to Palestinian supporters and as an agent of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Israeli supporters. Elika L. Ben also mentions that in other false narratives, she was introduced to independent audiences as a CIA agent and a supporter of the monarchy. She emphasizes that it is unnecessary to prove the falsehood of these attacks; the main goal is to sow seeds of distrust and damage the targeted individual's reputation. Elika L. Ben states that they create doubt, confusion, and distrust among the audience, leading them to withdraw their support. She continues to reference various other instances where she has been targeted in this coordinated campaign by the Islamic Republic to discredit her among users. Elika L. Ben concludes by asserting that this is the price that must be paid for achieving freedom, and the Islamic Republic will not be able to hide the truth with such tricks. Source: Newsweek