Nearly a month after the death of 22-yearold Mahsa Amini, protests continue across Iran. Arrested by the morality police on 13 September, Amini was dead three days later. The reason: ‘improper hijab.’
Now the world watches as Iran protests the morality police and their government.
Despite the security crackdowns, the protests have not died down. Women and girls throughout Iran have taken drastic measures to protest the morality police who arrested Amini for not wearing her veil properly.
These are the biggest waves of demonstration that Iran has seen in years. The government dismisses the extent of these protests by cutting the Internet in the evenings. However, the protesters are still there.
Iranian women among those who lead the protests
Iran’s hijab rules impose a compulsory dress code that women have to adhere to. The ‘morality’ police often submit girls and women for checks. Amini is not the first women to be subjected to these checks. Women are prosecuted if their veil is not worn properly.
The recent death of Masha Amini sparked something in the women and girls of Iran. It sparked the idea that life can be lived differently.
Many Iranians have had enough. They do not want to be subjected to such treatment in their own country. They take to the streets to protest the unlawful death of Masha Amini and the unfair rules that they must follow.
Women have been defiantly setting their headscarves on fire in the street. Despite the strong pushback from the authorities, they keep going. In schools, pictures of Iran’s leaders are being taken out from classrooms. Girls chant ‘Clerics, get lost.’
As women burn their hijabs, other have taken different measures to show their discontent with the government. Women have now taken to cutting their hair during protests against the harsh rules of the country. What started in Theran, the capital city, has now progressed all across the country.
Women around the world rally with Iran
Ever since the death of Amini, women in Iran have rallied with her cause. Campaigning against abusive treatment in the hands of the ‘morality’ police and her subsequent death. But the women of Iran are not alone. Women around the world have come out in support of the movement.
Indeed, Iraqi born Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani made an unforgettable gesture at the European Parliament. During the European Parliament’s debate on the unrest in Iran, Al-Sahlani stood up in support of Amini and all the other women abused in Iran.
She took a pair of scissors and cut her ponytail as she said the words ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ – Kurdish for ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’. Al-Sahlani was not alone in her bold move. More than 50 French actresses, including Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Hupert, have cut their hair in protest. These leading actresses are only a few of the women who have come together in support of Iran.
Men have also come out to protest the treatment of women in Iran. The world stands with Amini and the people of Iran.
