“Because of Yearning for an Ordinary Life” The Fight for Freedom Yaron Lectures

Protest movements have broken out against the oppressive regimes in Iran and China. Young Iranians posted their reasons for rebelling under the hashtag Baraye, meaning “because” and the singer-songwriter Shervin Hajipour compiled many of these reasons into a song of the same title that has become an anthem of the Iranian movement and an inspiration to those fighting for freedom around the world. One line in particular stands out. Young people are rebelling because of their “yeaning for an ordinary life”—for the opportunity to lead lives of the sort many around the world take for granted. By historical standards such “ordi...