Look beyond Instagram stories | Daily University | Tech Reddy

On Sunday, when I was thinking about this article, I just saw a post going around on Instagram saying that 15,000 protesters in Iran were sentenced to death. I thought it was important to write about this, especially after seeing stories asking for more information about this in America. I mean, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted about it.

Then I saw another post that showed it was all fake – the original post was a form of colonial-imperialist media, a form of disinformation about the Iranian government to gather opposition and expose the Iranians as villains. After being embarrassed at first about how quickly I believed the original graphic, I realized that it is not ridiculous to believe the claims shared by people like the prime ministers, especially considering that the source of information for many in social media.

However, I took these conflicting posts as a sign to leave Instagram and read, perhaps, a more reliable news source.

I went in thinking I wouldn’t know everything by the time I finished my article. But, perhaps I will get more information about the situation that will expose me to new schools of thought. There was never a moment where I thought, “Okay, I know enough about this now. I think it’s clear. I’m done learning.”

From what I have read, one protester has been sentenced to death. 20 protesters face the death penalty. Human rights groups warn that more executions are likely. In addition, the United States Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that 15,800 protesters in Iran have been arrested and 344 protesters have died since the beginning of the protests. They also note that independent reporting is not allowed in Iran, so they cannot confirm those figures.

Social media cannot be the primary source of media. It’s good for clarifying issues that aren’t heard, but it doesn’t stop there. I know it’s not revolutionary, but this past week I’ve been reminding myself that it’s good to use Instagram as a jumping off point, but we should use it as a tool to learn more but as all sources.

Here’s my answer to that: Whether it’s one protester or 15,000, it’s fatal. It deals with the concept of the cruelty of the death penalty. No one should face execution for protesting. Even if a protester burned down a government building, I don’t think this is a black-and-white issue – it’s important to consider the context of Iran’s political climate. That being said, the government should not have the power to determine a person’s sentence. Then I thought, maybe the issue is one related to the death penalty, but why should I write an article against the death penalty in Iran when the death penalty exists in 20 states in my own country?

Ultimately, this article is not about the death penalty — we’ll save that for another time. I think about women in Iran and what I expect from activists in other countries who have been removed from this situation.

The main issue focuses on the first issue: Human rights groups say 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was wrongfully killed by Iranian security forces. I wrote an article a few weeks ago about the Iran protests and how I feel so helpless here in the United States. I am still weak. However, it is important to support our beliefs in our own country, such as abolishing the death penalty, in the hope of building a model government.

I think it’s also important to accept how little power we have as individuals. As I have said in other articles, I do what I can and do it to the best of my ability. I write down my thoughts and express my thoughts. At the same time, I live with the knowledge that I have my own ideas and I’m still learning. I take the opportunity for the power of new information. I don’t want to get to a point where I’ve decided I know enough.