"Women, Life, Freedom"

    

(An Iranian woman, during a protest in Istanbul on Monday, help pieces of her hair that she had cut off)

Since the death of Mahsa Amini, and the ongoing protests worldwide, pressure is being placed on the Islamic Republic to make governmental changes. Mahsa Amini was a young woman killed at the hands of “morality police” in Iran for reportedly disrespecting the clothing norms in Iran. As protests erupt, it is safe to say the regime is out-dated and must go. 


The regime’s goal is to “islamize” the Iranian people and culture, however in doing so many basic and fundamental rights have been stripped from the people; more specifically, the women. Women being the primary victims of the regime's institutionalized misogyny, patriarchal tradition and overall authoritarian Islamic ideology, have spurred great civil unrest and scrutiny which has great potential to create lasting change. For the first time in history, Iran is witnessing generational change, and more importantly, shifts in fundamental norms and values. Iranian Leader, Ali Khamenei, gave a speech attacking academics and the ongoing student movement, as well as encouraging police brutality to shut these movements down. The direct attacks against this generation demonstrate the passé culture of the current Iranian government.  


In past Iranian protests such as the Green Movement of 2009, clergy members were always present and leading, however, the current movement is not tied to the clery at all. By driving protests religiously, past demonstrations were working within the governmental structure, but the new uprising does not rely on religion, demonstrating how the protesters are objecting to the government specifically and calling for systematic changes. 


Now, it is no news that the totalitarian regime is hostile, repressive, and aims to marginalize women by enforcing the hijab, yet, the ongoing protests are bigger than wearing the hijab itself. Women in Iran are fighting the compulsory hijab. Iranian women are fighting to take control of their bodies and reclaim ownership of their bodies. They want to have free choice to wear what they want without the state or any other authority telling them what to do. In essence, women are fighting the dated, oppressive standards that the Islamic republic encompasses. So, while it may appear that current uprisings are in protest of the killing of Mahsa Amini, in reality they are a symptom of the out-dated authoritarian regime that needs to be replaced in Iran. It’s time the government began protecting “Women, Life, Freedom”



Sources:

https://apple.news/AfR7F-aOYRZyrjgB9L5a_FA 

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/09/mahsa-amini-irans-protests-rebellion-bodily-autonomy 

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/how-irans-protests-differ-past-movements 

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-42954970 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/world/middleeast/iran-protests.html?searchResultPosition=4 

https://www.nytimes.com/video/players/offsite/index.html?videoId=100000008553391

An Iranian woman, during a protest in Istanbul on Monday, held pieces of her hair that she had cut off. 📸 Sedat Suna/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Last Voting Rights Act Threat

Image
(President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Janai Nelson, center, speaks to members of the press after the oral argument of the Merrill v. Milligan case at the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court heard oral argument of the case that challenge whether the new congressional map of Alabama violates the Voting Rights Act. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) On Tuesday October 4, 2022 Supreme Court Justices heard oral arguments for a case that challenges an Alabama voting redistricting map which could possibly eliminate the safeguards of the Voting Rights Act. The case, Merrill v. Milligan, examines whether Alabama’s 2021 redistricting map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it weakens the voting power of African Americans in Alabama.  Black Voters make up roughly 27% of the Alabama population, but only one congressional district - which is about 14% of the state's population -  would be majority black in the plan drawn...
Read more