Arezoo
“This is where I seek solace in the midst of all the negativity and anxiety in my life. Art in general makes me feel less lonely. It’s such an intimate way of getting to know another soul.”
Arezoo’s favourite thing about herself is that she is outspoken. She is passionately vocal about the injustices faced by marginalized women, especially in politics. She co-founded the Young Women’s Leadership Network, which gives skills and community to young women in a variety of fields such as civic engagement, arts, and STEM. She told me she thinks she’s perceived as a “raging feminist” who looks for trouble and that she is naive. Arezoo's perception of herself is that she is shameless, and won’t be embarrassed by systems of power that seek to delegitimize her existence and her voice. She added, “I have never been quiet in the face of injustice and I fight everyday to uncover the hidden truths that disenfranchise young women from political institutions.” When I asked Arezoo what stereotypes she encounters about Muslim women she told me, “A lot of Canadian women who used to tokenize me in politics would ask me to compare my life in Iran and Canada, hoping to hear about my sad life in Iran versus how liberated and free I felt in Canada. But I was always a part of my school council in Iran, I regularly volunteered and received training for earthquake relief, I always made my opinion known; that is not to erase the real systemic barriers women face in Iran, but Canadians, especially white Canadian “Feminists,” are making a HUGE mistake by undermining the contributions of Muslim women not only to our own communities, but to the whole world as well.”
Q&A Feature:
Where is your favourite place to find yourself?
I’m usually most in touch with myself when I’m travelling, there’s something about being outside the context of my life that is very liberating, it’s like I lose my ego.
What is a fun fact about you that you haven’t told me yet?
I LOVE astrology.
What is one thing you know for sure?
The people who won’t accept and love every aspect of your identity don’t deserve to be in your life.
