It’s Time To Talk About Iran. Women; Life; Freedom.
What Is Happening In Iran?
On the 13th of September 2022, Mahsa Amini was detained by Iran’s Morality Police for violating Iran’s hijab laws. Iran’s strict hijab laws were enforced after the 1979 Islamic Revolution which made the hijab compulsory and required women to wear loose-fitted clothing and a headscarf in public.
What are the Morality Police?
“Gasht-e-Ershad” which translates to guidance patrols but widely known as Morality Police are a subdivision of Iran’s police force who are in charge of enforcing Islamic dress code laws in public. Iran’s interpretation of Islamic Sharia Law requires both women and men to dress modestly however in practice the morality police mainly target women. Furthermore, there is no clear definition or guidelines of what clothing is modest or inappropriate which leaves a large amount of discretion and power in the hands of the morality police who are accused of arbitrarily detaining women.
According to Mahsa Amini’s brother, it took two hours from the time the police took her into custody to the time she was transported to the ICU. In addition, a UN Report found that Amini was held in police custody for three days where she collapsed and died after being transported to the hospital. The report found that Amini was severely and brutally beaten to death by the morality police.
The death of Amini has sparked a wildfire of protests both in Iran and globally and has caused economic, social and political unrest in Iran. Could this be the start of a new Iranian revolution?
Iranian Protests: Why This Time Is Different
Although Iranians have revolted against their Islamic State regime many times before, they have all be suppressed. However, for the first time Iranians are being heard- we can attribute this to the international attention that has been received as well as the power of social media. It is also important to note these protests are being led by GEN Z who are not just fighting against the morality police and the mandatory hijab, but are fighting against the status quo to fight for their freedom. The power of the internet and social media should not be understated during these times as the internet is the only way Iranian voices can be heard. An Iranian activist stated that “social media is our only hope for making changes here. It has been our way of communicating with the world when we had no other chance.” Previously, the authorities have implemented a total internet shutdown as they are aware and frightened by the power of the internet. This was the case in 2019 where the authorities blocked internet access to hide the horrendous human right violations taking place in the country which resulted in more than 1500 deaths. On September 21st, it has been reported that the Iranian government have shut down the internet yet again for more than 24 hours.
Protests have been sporadic and relentless. Thousands have been protesting against Iran’s Islamic state regime as well as against their Dictator and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Secondary schools and universities around the country are flashpoints, and women and girls have been taking off their hijabs. A protester said “If the dust settles and we stop protesting, they are going to kill even more of us. They are going to detain even more people and they are going to turn us to North Korea- this is not the end. I promise you that.”
Protesters in the streets of numerous cities and provincial towns are saying that they no longer want an Islamic Republic, as evident by the chants of “Death to Khamenei,” “Khamenei is a murderer, his guardianship is invalid,” “I don’t want, I don’t want an Islamic Republic,” “This year is bloody, Seyed Ali [Khamenei] will be overthrown,” and “I will fight, I will die, I will take back Iran.
The number of the dead and injured is unknown, but state media says 40 people have died since the start of demonstrations in mid-September. Rights group Amnesty International says at least 52 have been killed. Over 1,000 people are believed to have been detained, including journalists and artists, but there seems to be no sign of them slowing down, for now. This is why keeping the internet on is so integral for the people of Iran.
What Can We Do To Help?
There are ways we can help:-
1) Contact your Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and urge them to create an international investigative mechanism. Demand that your officials/ MPs speak out on the human rights violations inside Iran because there are no avenues for domestic accountability inside Iran.
2) Organise/participate in demonstrations outside the Iranian embassy and let the Iranian government know that their human rights violations will not go unpunished by the international community.
3) Share important and factually correct information. Share and post the latest information from Iranian activists and organisations online and help give Iranian protesters a voice and platform to be heard.
4) Another way to help is by donating to UK-based and international human rights organisations that focus on Iran, such as Justice for Iran, the Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), and Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The more attention there is on Iran, the more the Islamic Republic is under pressure.
- By Megha Banerjee
