Yara Leadership Society

Legal professionals are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health illnesses than the average Canadian, including suffering from anxiety, depression and addiction. But perhaps lesser known are the mental illnesses that legal professionals of Iranian heritage live with. In addition to the stressors of practicing law, Iranian lawyers may deal with profound mental health issues stemming from having experienced war, revolution, a restrictive educational system, oppression and displacement. Leena Yousefi is an Iranian-Canadian lawyer and the founder of YLaw . As a committed advocate, she has joined 18 legal leaders in Canada to write “The Right Not to Remain Silent”, a revolutionary new book that shines the light on the very real mental health crisis in the legal profession. The authors are judges, lawyers, and law professors with wide-ranging legal practices in BC, Alberta and Ontario including at Bay Street and small boutique firms who share their very personal lived experiences with mental illness and addiction in an attempt to shatter the stigma around mental health and to ensure other professionals do not suffer in silence. The book is available to purchase through LexisNexis Canada Inc. - https://shorturl.at/aJgcT . All proceeds are donated to CAMH (the Center for Addiction and Mental Health). If you are not able to afford the book, write to Leena directly at leena@ylaw.ca and she will send you a free copy. Yara was on hand at the book launch held last month at a reception hosted by the Law Society of Ontario in support of Ms. Yousefi and all the legal professionals who have courageously contributed to this important conversation. Congratulations on this ground-breaking book. #mentalhealthmatters

The history of Canada began long before the birth of the nation on July 1, 1867. This Canada Day let’s stop and meditate upon the difficult chapters in our history and stand in solidarity with all who suffered. This Canada Day let’s welcome all the newcomers who now call this land home, embrace unity in diversity. This Canada Day is a time to reflect on what being Canadian means to us. #unityindiversity #diversitymatters #happycanadaday

I named my child Donya 22 years ago. At the time my spouse and I were happy that we had a healthy beautiful baby as we announced the birth of our daughter to our families. Donya is a “girl’s” name in Iran. It means the “world” in Persian, Hindi, Arabic, and other Indo-European languages. Donya never “came out” as a queer child to us. As parents we never assumed Donya was straight. In our conversations we were open to all sexual orientations. However, at age 20 Donya informed us that they are non-binary and that they have chosen the pronoun they/them. In Farsi/Persian, there are no pronouns of he/she/him/her, but our primary language at home as a multi-language family is English and we used she/her for Donya for 20 years. Being a social justice/ human rights advocate does not imbue me with a special gift for unlearning familiar speech patterns. So, I practiced, and I made mistakes, but effort is important because it does take time. A huge part of parenting is being used to constant change, and this is no different. And a large part of being human is to learn and grow. Language is mutable and it has the power to reflect respect, visibility, and acceptance. For parents around the world, their children are their world and they want their children to be happy, resilient, healthy, and safe. Being an 'ally' is not just a label. For me, being a true ally means being a reliable and trusting presence. To be an accomplice in solidarity. To be a true ally is to provide a space for safety. To paraphrase Bell Hooks, “love is an action not a feeling”; we love our children, but to action that love as allies is to stand up for all 2SLGBTQIA+ people in all their beautiful, celebratory, joyful, human presence.  #pride2024 #allyship #loveislove

As a 43-year-old trans woman from Iran, I have borne witness to a myriad of challenges confronting the Iranian LGBTQ+ community including the intricate web of intersecting identities and entrenched historical biases. Across the span of four decades and since coming to Canada in 2016, I have tried to help the Iranian queer collective to overcome obstacles. Following the #womanlifefreedom movement in Iran in September 2022, I co-founded Simorgh Iranian Queer Organization, with Saeid Ghobani and Sobhan Nofar and along with Mani Azimzadeh, social equity instructor and Naghmeh Javid, youth social worker, we aim to shed light on the lived realities of queer individuals in Iran while also zealously advocating for meaningful alliances with the broader Iranian population as well as with international activists and organizations in the hopes of having queer rights recognized within Iran, and beyond. Last year, Simorgh organized the first Iranian Pride parade in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal which was supported by Iranian allies in the straight and non-queer community. CBC covered the story and as I said in my interview, I don't want transgender people born in Iran to face the difficulties we had to face. Rather, I want the new generation of queer Iranians to be able to grow personally as human beings. Year after year, the month of Pride serves as a reflection of our arduous journey, while also envisioning a future characterized by greater inclusivity, empathy, and love. Simorgh is again planning the parade for this year. We invite all our allies and friends to this important event 🌈 https://lnkd.in/g2ZyMG-u #pride2024 #prideparade #inculsion #lgbtqrights

By sharing the journeys and contributions of refugees, we come to understand how #refugees influence culture and cuisine, shape policies and laws, touch lives and change our outlook on life. Refugees are everyday change makers. As a multi-hyphenate artist, Sepideh Moafi is proud to use her voice as a singer and her platform as an actor to raise funds and awareness for the more than 100 million people displaced globally. Sepideh was born in a refugee camp in Germany in 1985 where her parents were living after risking everything and fleeing Iran forcibly following the Islamic Revolution. After spending two years in Turkey, then Germany, seeking political asylum and claiming refugee status, they were granted Visas to come to the U.S., and spent several years before building up their lives in a foreign country. In 2013, Sepideh had her first on-screen acting role guest-starring in an episode of Blue Bloods. She went on to become a critically acclaimed actor starring in film/TV series, original off-Broadway musicals, plays and operas worldwide. She starred in The Deuce (HBO Max), The L Word: Generation Q (Showtime), award-winning miniseries Blackbird (Apple+), Class of ’09 (FX/Hulu), and The Killing of Two Lovers (Neon.) Since 2019, Sepideh has been an ambassador for the International Rescue Committee. She has traveled to refugee camps and been part of major campaigns for the IRC including #WorldRefugeeDay, moderated panels and town halls benefiting the organization. As she observed, “Being a refugee has shaped my life and I feel fiercely moved to not only help destigmatize but also humanize our struggling brothers and sisters around the globe.” 📷 International Rescue Committee #humanitarian #refugeeadovate #refugeerights #achangemaker

Within the first year I immigrated to Canada, I chanced upon the Pride march. Trying not to sound too enthusiastic, I asked if we could stop to watch. I have never ever forgotten the way I felt that day. Even though I was finally in a free country, I did not feel free. For a few years after I moved here from Iran, I dated women. No one knew but hiding who I was from the most important person in my life was wearing me down.   My late mother was my world. I was petrified to come out to her but eventually she forced the subject. She called from Iran wanting to know why I was insisting on moving out of my sister’s place. She would not accept the reasons I gave her. Then came the question: “Are you trying to tell me you are a lesbian?” I denied at first but she knew me too well, “yes, I am” I admitted. The silence between Mashad and Ottawa seemed like eternity. My mom was sobbing – “Do you think I love you any less?” Then she got angry, “Do me a favour, never bring her in front of me!” I had broken her heart. I felt guilty but this was my life. After two years, she invited me to bring a partner to family occasions (giant step forward) but every time I became single, she tried to set me up with an eligible man (many little steps backward).   I am lucky I had a family willing to open their minds for me. It is proof that change is possible. Many other families still refuse to accept. When immigrants who have escaped from oppressive regimes encourage their children to stomp over Pride flags here in Canada, teach them to hate over love, we still have a long way to go. So we march to raise awareness and promote inclusivity. #pride2024 #pridecelebration #lovewins

When he was 12 years old, Ramin Karimloo went on a field trip with school to see the “Phantom of the Opera”. Like most Canadian boys, he was big into hockey at the time and did not relish seeing musical theatre but he went anyway as it got him out of school for the day. Ramin credits that field trip for sparking his dream to one day perform the role of the Phantom. Fast forward to 2007, Ramin, age 29 appeared in the West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera which propelled Ramin's stage career into stardom. He played the Phantom from September 2007 to November 2009 and originated the role of The Phantom in the world premiere of the sequel Love Never Dies in 2010, earning his first Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Born in Tehran, Iran, and raised in Peterborough and Richmond Hill, Ramin began his music career singing in rock groups and cruise ships. He left Toronto in 2001 to pursue acting in London, UK. In 2012 he released his first solo album and returned to Toronto where a year later, he played Jean Val Jean in "Les Misérables". Ramin made his Broadway debut in 2014 playing the same iconic role. You can catch Ramin Karimloo at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on June 25 and 26 when he will join celebrated Canadian vocalist Mikaela Bennett for a journey through musical-theatre history, from the Golden Age to favourites of today, with signature songs from West Side Story, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and more. #raminkarimloo #broadway #tsoconcert #musical

Darius Rose is an actor and the “Persian Princess” of drag known by the stage name Jackie Cox. Born in 1985 in Halifax to an Iranian mother and a Canadian father, Darius came out in high school and was crowned Prom King. A graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, he discovered drag at age 24 when he visited New York. For the longest time, Darius kept his Iranian culture and heritage separate from his drag. As he noted “being gay in the Persian community already comes with a lot of stigma, and playing with gender, I think, is something that is still really frowned upon for most Persian people.” He also felt the pressure from his mother, to pursue education and get a “proper job”. In 2016, Darius decided to use his platform as Jackie Cox to address Islamophobia and how people from Iran and other Muslim countries were being treated by the Trump administration. As he explains "drag is a performance, drag is political and drag is as expressive in almost any way as you want it to be”. In 2020, Jackie Cox competed as a contestant on season 12 of RuPaul's Drag Race . Although she placed fourth, Jackie earned attention for her activism, for embracing her Persian heritage in her drag and for highlighting the importance of intersectional representation in media. From the clubs to Drag Race to Days of Our Lives to his Off-Broadway debut, actor and influencer, Darius Rose aka Jackie Cox has broken down barriers for other queer immigrant-children to be themselves and not to feel so alone when it comes to personal struggles. 📷 Jackie Cox Instagram & Facebook #pride2024 #pridemonth #breakingbarriers

Home to the world’s second largest Iranian diaspora, the Iranian community in Toronto is a growing and increasingly visible immigrant group. Amin Moghadam and Nima Naghibi have launched a project to collect personal stories of immigration from Iran to Toronto, entitled “Tehranto: Stories of Home and Belonging from Toronto’s Iranian Diaspora”. The stretch along Yonge street, from north of Sheppard past Elgin Mills, affectionately called “Tehranto”, houses a significant number of Iranian businesses: grocery stores, restaurants, cafés, hair salons, currency exchange stores etc.   In February, Dr. Moghadam and Prof. Naghibi called for short essays and personal reflections from the Iranian community about their early immigrant days to “Tehranto”. Of the many submissions received, 15 essays were selected to be read at public forums, the first of which was held on May 23rd. The second reading will take place on June 11th. The final goal of the Tehranto project is to collect and publish these essays as a book. Some may be included in an online digitized platform of the larger project.   Amin Moghadam is Research Lead on the theme Cities and Migration at the CERC in Migration & Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research explores connections between housing policies, diaspora politics and homeownership experience of Iranian immigrants in Toronto. Amin holds a PhD in Human Geography and Urban Studies from the University of Lyon II, France.   Nima Naghibi is Professor of English at TMU. She has written about the intersection of Western and Iranian feminisms and the 1979 feminist protests in Rethinking Global Sisterhood: Western Feminism and Iran (Minnesota Press, 2007), and on diasporic Iranian women’s life narratives in Women Write Iran: Nostalgia and Human Rights from the Diaspora (Minnesota Press, 2016). Yara had the distinct pleasure of partnering with Prof. Naghibi in the launch of its educational video for IWD2023 called “Fighting for Freedom: Women of Iran” where she led a conversation with Madame Sophie Gregoire Trudeau about the #womanlifefreedom movement. If you are interested to submit an essay, submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis for future public readings. Please send your 1000word essay in English to amin.moghadam@torontomu.ca and nnaghibi@torontomu.ca.   To register for the June 11th public reading, which is a FREE event, go to https://lnkd.in/gyUfiA78 #tehranto #torontoiranian

Iranian-Canadian architect, Hossein Amanat was among the 13 recipients of the 2024 Honorary degrees conferred by the The University of British Columbia. On May 30th at Convocation, Mr. Amanat received an honorary Doctor of Letters, recognizing “his prominent place in the pantheon of great architects”.   In 1966, at age 24, Hossein Amanat won a nationwide competition for the design of the Shahyad Tower in Tehran (later renamed by the Islamic regime as Azadi (“Freedom”) Tower).  It is Iran's most famous modern monument, and it has been the backdrop to every major news story coming out of the country, most recently during the #womanlifefreedom movement. This visionary leader’s early success led to numerous commissions for several of Iran’s most complex modern buildings, including the initial building of the Sharif University, the Persian Heritage Centre and the Iranian embassy in Beijing. Amanat was among the first Iranian architects who distinguished their work by adhering to contemporary principles while applying lessons from traditional architecture. As a member of the persecuted Baháʼí Faith, Mr. Amanat fled during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. After moving to Vancouver in 1980, Mr. Amanat continued his architecture practice and went on to design the three administrative buildings on the Baháʼí Arc in Haifa, Israel, as well as various libraries, religious/cultural buildings and high rises world wide. The honorary doctorates – UBC’s highest honour, stand as examples of creativity, compassion, dedication and service to Canadian society. In his acceptance speech, an obviously emotional Hossein Amanat thanked Canada for offering him and his family 44 years of “opportunities, safety and above all, freedom”. #hosseinamanat #architecture