Alessio Rastani reflects on Iran, freedom of thought, and Persian New Year
Alessio Rastani delivers a solo address on the Persian New Year, connecting the history of Persia to contemporary struggles over freedom of thought and speech.
Summary
In this solo address recorded on Nowruz (the Persian New Year), Alessio Rastani reflects on his personal connection to Iran — having visited Tehran multiple times and maintained close friendships there — before broadening into a meditation on freedom of thought and the forces that suppress it. He argues that tyranny over thinking is not limited to Iran's government but is a growing trend in Western countries including the UK, Germany, and the United States, where book bans, religious fundamentalism in public institutions, and social media conformity all pose threats. Drawing on Hemingway, Nietzsche, and Foucault, he warns that public opinion itself can function as a form of tyranny. He closes by urging courage over pity for the Persian people, citing Shakespeare and Nietzsche.
Key Takeaways
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Opening: Persian New Year and a Personal Connection to Iran
Alessio Rastani: Hey guys. Hope you're well. Making this video for you on the Persian New Year. I have to be honest with you — I did not want to make this video. I did not really want to discuss this subject, but given that today is the Persian New Year, it might be a good time to talk about it.
Let me first of all wish all our Persian friends a very happy New Year, a very happy Nowruz on this first day of spring.
Usually at this time of year, as I'm sure you know, I would be in Iran. I would be in Tehran with my friends. As some of you know, I've been to Tehran many times. I have friends there. I have people that I love over there. I really miss them. Usually when I go there, I have a great time — whether it's jumping over the fires and all the New Year traditions, the dancing, going out, seeing places. I also have video footage from my earlier visits. This is what I used to look like back in 2008 — a much younger Alessio at the time, with different hair.
The reason I mention all this is because I want you to know that I really love Iran. Unlike most people in the mainstream media and social media who talk about Iran, I've actually visited the country. I've been there several times and I know the people and the culture there really well.
It might surprise some of you to know that about 2,500 years ago, the first king of Persia — King Cyrus of Persia — founded the Persian Empire, which grew to be one of the strongest and most powerful empires in the world. Some people may not know this, but Cyrus freed the Jewish people from captivity. And because of their liberation, the Jewish people named Cyrus as the anointed one — as a messiah — in the Hebrew Bible.
On Obvious and Hidden Enemies
All right, let's talk about Iran. This is not a very easy subject for me to discuss, but we have to get into it. The first thing I want to talk about is a quote from one of my favorite writers, Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway once said, "If you don't have obvious enemies, they're hiding among your friends." What that probably means is that sometimes the people you trust, the people you think are your friends, are actually your greatest enemies — or at least people you should be very cautious about.
Right now there are some people on mainstream media and social media saying that Iran is the enemy. And then there are others saying that Israel or America is the enemy. I don't know about you, but I think certain things in the world are not so black and white. They don't have easy answers. The mainstream media and social media want to make things seem simple — as though everything is just black and white. They are not. There is a lot of nuance, a lot of uncertainty. Again, it's not always obvious who your friends are.
Nietzsche on Tyranny and Independent Thought
That brings me to a very important quote by the great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche says:
"Where there have been powerful societies, governments, religions, public opinions — in short, wherever there has been tyranny — there the independent thinker or the solitary philosopher has been hated. For philosophy, or thinking, offers a sanctuary to man into which no tyranny can force its way."
What is Nietzsche saying there? Essentially, that there are certain people and groups who don't want you to think for yourself. They want to restrict your freedom of thought. As I'm sure you already know, most governments and institutions — whether the state or religious institutions — don't want you to think for yourself. They much prefer that you stay ignorant and simply do as they tell you. They want you to believe their lies and propaganda, and they will censor you and shut your mouth if you say anything that offends them.
The Problem in Iran — and Its Parallels in the West
One of the biggest problems with Iran — and this has been true for many years — is that there are certain groups of people who are, I think, very sick and diseased individuals. When I say sick and diseased, I mean the sickness is in their minds and in their souls. These people don't want freedom of thought. They don't want freedom of speech. They want to control how people think. And if you don't do as they say, if you don't think like them, they will put you in prison or they will kill you. They force their lies down people's throats. They are liars and thieves. What they want and demand from you is blind conformity — herd mentality. That is how they control people. You must not be allowed to think for yourself or speak your mind, and if you do, if you say something that opposes them, they will silence you, imprison you, or worse.
That is one of the biggest obvious problems with Iran. But here's the thing. In Europe and America there is certainly a lot more freedom — but there are growing trends in Europe, in the UK and in Germany, where there are attempts to restrict people's freedom of speech and freedom of thought. That is not as bad as what has been happening in Iran, of course, but even in Germany, I've heard that the government is making more and more restrictions on freedom of speech. In the UK — and I love the UK — every day you hear about institutions trying to restrict how people think.
America is a country I love. I have family and friends there. But even in America there are disturbing trends where certain governmental, state, and religious institutions are trying to restrict freedom of thought and freedom of expression. There have been attempts to ban certain books. And some groups are trying to force religious fundamentalism into schools and into government. If some of you are wondering what is wrong with mixing religious fundamentalism into government and schools — just go and spend a few months in the Middle East in some of those countries, and you'll see for yourself. It's a disaster.
Reading, Ignorance, and Manipulation
According to recent data, about 40% of Americans last year did not read a book. So nearly half of America is not reading books or listening to books. That is a dangerous situation. The less people read books, the more easily they can be manipulated or controlled by the state, by the government, and by religious institutions. Governments and religious institutions love it if you don't read, because if you don't read, you don't ask questions and you leave them alone. That means you're not a danger to them. They want you to conform to the herd — to conform to whatever they tell you. And that is dangerous.
If there is one thing I think we should all do this year in 2026, it is read more books. The sick and diseased people I was telling you about — they don't want people to know about the history of Persia or to ask any questions.
Public Opinion as Tyranny — Foucault and Nietzsche
There is one more thing we need to talk about. Going back to the quote by Nietzsche — notice he mentions public opinion as tyrannical as well. And I think he is right. Among the many enemies we can face, public opinion is probably one of them. Public opinion can also restrict freedom of thought and freedom of speech. The French philosopher Michel Foucault calls this a "normalizing power." And if you think about it, social media platforms — X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, all of them — are probably normalizing machines.
I agree with Nietzsche that if we are going to achieve any kind of freedom — freedom of thought, freedom of speech — we have to be mindful that public opinion can be tyrannical as well. Public opinion can stand in the way of free thinking. This will come as no surprise to many of you, because often when you say something that does not conform to the majority opinion, public opinion will come after you. They will shame you and guilt you into thinking like them. And if you don't think like them, you'll be hounded and made to feel ashamed. That is a major problem for freedom of speech and free thinking in general.
Again, as Hemingway said: if you don't have obvious enemies, they're hiding among your friends. You have to have the courage to think for yourself and not be made to feel ashamed for it.
And as Nietzsche also tells us — it does not take courage to have convictions. What takes courage is to question your convictions.
I know I'm going to get attacked in the comments on this video. That's fine. I don't care what they think. I don't care what the social media mob says about me. They can say what they want, but I will never bow down to the social media mob. I refuse to become like the social media influencers.
Closing: What the Persian People Need
The final thing I'm going to say is this. When it comes to the Persian people — I know some of you mean well — but I don't think the Persian people need your pity or your charity. What people in Persia need right now is strength and courage. That is what people in Iran need right now. If you're going to hope for anything — and again, hope is not a strategy — but if you will hope for anything, please hope that the Persian people will be courageous and not given to fear and cowardice.
As Shakespeare says in Julius Caesar:
"A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the brave taste death but once."
And as Nietzsche says in Thus Spoke Zarathustra:
"Do you possess courage, oh my brothers? Not courage in the presence of witnesses, but hermit's and eagle's courage. He possesses heart who knows fear but masters fear, who sees the abyss but sees it with pride."
I want to wish you and all our Persian friends around the world a very happy Persian New Year, happy Nowruz.
And I look forward to seeing you all in the next video update.