Elnaaz Norouzi says Iran was never an Islamic country, blames the current regime for radicalisation and demands democracy

Elnaaz Norouzi says Iran was never an Islamic country, blames the current regime for radicalisation and demands democracy

• Elnaaz Norouzi condemns Iran's regime, urges democracy
• She says Iranians, especially youth, want secularism and freedom
• Norouzi fears returning to Iran due to her public opposition

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Iranian-born actor Elnaaz Norouzi — known for her work in Sacred Games and other films — has strongly criticised the present regime in Iran, saying the nation’s identity has been overshadowed by decades of clerical rule and ideological enforcement, and affirming that people want democracy and secularism instead. Norouzi, who left Iran as a child and now lives and works in India, made the remarks amid rising tumult in the Middle East following recent geopolitical events.

In a recent interview with Bombay Times, Elnaaz argued that Iran’s true history and cultural diversity extend far beyond the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic, which has governed the country since the 1979 revolution.

She said, “Iran is complex. What the Islamic Republic has done in Iran is not just create one Nicolás Maduro or Saddam Hussein. There is the supreme leader, (the late Khamenei), there are people and parties under him - Hezbollah, there is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), there is the Basij. They support and back the Houthis, Hamas. They are all intertwined. The Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose name is being chanted all over Iran. People want democracy in Iran. The Gen Z knows exactly what's right for them. The older generation, our grandparents say they made a mistake years ago by asking for regime change. ‘We had it so good during the times of Shah. It was secular and diverse,’ they say.”

The actor also pointed to widespread public desire for democratic reform, suggesting that many Iranians — especially younger generations — want a future based on pluralism and freedom, not clerical dominance.

“For the past 40 years, a large population of Iranians go to sleep and wake up hoping that one day they are going to be freed from this regime. Just like in India, Iran had people from different religions, cultures and communities living there. It was diverse. Iran was never an Islamic country, it was largely Zoroastrian. Iran was Persia, and Persia was Eurasian. Before the Arabs came in, Christians, Baha'is, and Russian expatriates lived in Iran. It wasn’t just for Muslims. You had the freedom to wear what you want to wear, say what you want to say. Iran needs democracy to go back to those times,” the actor added.

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Elnaaz has been particularly outspoken recently, expressing both concern and hope for her homeland’s direction. She has openly said she cannot return to Iran due to safety fears and her public opposition to the government, and she has advocated for a secular — rather than strictly theocratic — path for the nation’s future.