Mumbai — Iran-born Indian actress Elnaaz Norouzi has shared a powerful message on faith, humanity, and the misuse of religion, stressing that belief should never be equated with extremism or oppression.
In a note posted on Instagram, Elnaaz said it is possible to be Muslim while rejecting radical Islamism, underlining that faith and extremism are fundamentally different. “You can be Muslim and still reject radical Islamism. Faith and extremism are not the same thing. I was born Muslim, and I will never support tyranny or injustice done in the name of religion,” she wrote.
The actress added that being a true believer does not mean overlooking flaws within one’s community, but having the courage to speak out against wrongdoing. “Being a believer doesn’t mean pretending your community is perfect; it means being honest enough to call out what’s wrong,” she said.
Emphasising that humanity must come before all religious identities, Elnaaz noted that she has encountered both good and bad individuals across every faith. “What matters is humanity. I don’t care if you’re Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu—I’ve met incredible people and bad people across all faiths. The bad ones don’t define an entire religion,” she wrote.
Calling for unity, the actress urged people to separate religion from politics and stand together against injustice. “Let’s separate politics from religion and fight for what’s right, together. Stand with humanity. It will always age better than defending oppression,” she added.
Elnaaz, whose latest release is Mastiii 4, captioned her post by stating that the ongoing unrest in Iran is not directed against religion but against authoritarian rule. “Iranians are not rising up against a religion. They are rising up against a regime that weaponized religion to control every aspect of life. We respect all religions, but we don’t want to be ruled by any,” she wrote.
Iran has been witnessing sustained protests against political repression and economic hardship, with international human rights organisations reporting mass arrests and killings. Protesters are demanding significant political and governance reforms.
Meanwhile, UN human rights experts have condemned serious rights violations during nationwide demonstrations that began on December 28, 2025, calling for immediate action to protect protesters and uphold the right to life.
With inputs from IANS