KUALA LUMPUR: With the conflict in the Middle East not letting up, the Iranian diaspora here is following developments in Teheran with mounting anxiety, not to mention the desperation to hear from their families.
For geopolitical expert Dr Abdolreza Alami, who has lived here for 17 years, it has been an emotionally exhausting experience.
“None who genuinely values peace can watch bombs fall on a civilian population without utter grief,” he said.
Fortunately, Abdolreza has been in contact with his extended family in Iran.
“But I will be dishonest to say that communication alone erases all anxiety.
“You can hear a voice but still not know whether that person will be safe an hour later,” he said when contacted yesterday.
The senior Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) lecturer said he took pride in how Iranians were standing together to defend their motherland.
Ebrahim Habib, an IT professional here for eight years, said the communications blackout in Iran since the military attacks by the United States and Israel on Feb 28 was distressing.
With Internet access and international calls restricted for security reasons, many had to rely on VPNs to bypass the blockade, he added.
“I have not been able to have full contact with my family since the war began.
“Being unable to reach your loved ones makes it especially worrying,” he said.
Ebrahim said the growing polarisation among his countrymen was a source of deep sorrow.
“It is heartbreaking to see how politics can divide people of the same nation in such a profound way. Regardless of our views, we all carry the same worry for our country and families,” he said.
He said wars rarely brought about any positive change.
“It only leaves behind pain, loss and wounds that take generations to heal.
“My hope is that everyone can live in peace and stability, and my countrymen in dignity,” he added.
A 34-year-old Iranian postgraduate student, who wished to be known as Fatima, said the silence from home was agonising.
“Every morning I wake up and check my phone, hoping that a message from my parents has somehow come through.
“You send a message. You see one grey tick. And then you wait,” she said.
Fatima said her parents, who are in their 70s, live in a suburb in Isfahan, located almost five hours by road from Teheran.
“When the conflict erupted, I spent hours in my living room crying, until my mother finally managed to send a voice note saying they were safe in the basement,” she said.
An Iranian university student who wanted to be known as Reza said the collapsing Iranian rial pushed many Iranian students to the brink of desperation, with many searching for jobs just to afford groceries.
Reza said there were varying political views among the Iranian community here.
“Some support the government while many oppose it.
“But right now, politics take a backseat.
“During an armed conflict, you just want your family to survive,” said the 23-year-old.
An estimated 2,500 Iranian nationals reside in Malaysia.
