Iranian dissidents and human rights advocates have strongly condemned Whoopi Goldberg’s recent comments comparing the experiences of black Americans to life under Iran’s strict theocratic regime.
The remarks, made during a tense debate on ABC’s “The View,” sparked immediate backlash from members of the Iranian diaspora, who said Goldberg’s comparison disregards the harsh realities endured daily by millions living under the Islamic Republic.
The controversy unfolded during a discussion between Goldberg and co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin.
Griffin detailed Iran’s widespread human rights abuses, including executions of LGBT individuals and imprisonment of women for violating dress codes enforced by the regime’s morality police.
She emphasized that life in Iran, with its strict theocratic controls, is fundamentally different from life in the U.S.
“In the year 2025 in the United States, it is nothing like if I step foot wearing this outfit into Iran right now,” Griffin said.
Goldberg responded firmly, asserting, “It is the same,” and later added, “Not if you’re Black,” drawing a parallel between systemic racism in America and the risks faced by Iranians under authoritarian rule.
The remarks prompted swift criticism from Iranian-Americans familiar with the regime’s brutality.
Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a plastic surgeon who fled Iran after