Thousands of people have been protesting across Iran for days over the police beating a young woman, Mahsa Amini, to death for wearing an ‘improper’ hijab. On social media women around the world are posting videos of themselves cutting off their hair in solidarity. While it may seem like this uprising is solely about the death of Mahsa Amini, these protests are part of a growing democracy movement in Iran pushing back against a controlling government.
UPDATED: 26 September 2022.
What happened to Mahsa Amini?
The 22-year-old Mahsa Amini travelled to Iran with her family, from their home in Kurdistan region of Iran. On 13th September, Mahsa was with her brother when she was stopped by the Iranian Guidance Patrol (Gasht-e Ershad, also known as the ‘morality police’ or the Islamic religious police) for a dress code violation – her hijab supposedly did not meet government standards.
Mahsa was taken by police on the spot, forced into a van that her brother was told would take her to an hour-long education session on proper dress before she would be released. Instead, Mahsa was hospitalised and in a coma not long after being detained by police. She died on 16th September, just three days after being arrested.
Mahsa’s family say there were clear signs that she was tortured and suffered severe beating. Scans showed injuries indicating trauma to her head: a bone fracture, haemorrhage, and brain swelling. Iranian police deny this, and claim that she had a heart attack while in the education session. They also say that there will be an investigation into the incident.
Mahsa Amini, 22, is in a coma after being tortured by Iranian authorities.
— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) September 15, 2022
This would be unacceptable no matter what, but the fact that she was arrested for improper wearing of the hijab makes it even more horrifying.
Please join me in sharing her name and story.#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/FEB6BYfIZO
The protests
After Mahsa’s funeral, protests over her death broke out in Tehran. Protestors are demanding a proper investigation into her death and for the morality police to be shut down. Women are removing and burning their headscarves in public. They were met with force from Iranian authorities almost immediately – police have used tear gas, water guns and live ammunition against protestors.
According to human rights group Hengaw, they were shot when Iranian security forces opened fire on protestors. Initially, the government was insisting the deaths were suspicious, instead blaming the shootings on “anti-revolutionary” groups who are trying to take advantage of the unrest.
As of 26 September, Iran’s state news outlets say 41 people (including police) have been killed in the protests; according to the Associated Press, so far there have been at least 13 verifiable deaths and more than 1200 arrests. This includes 20-year-old Hadis Najafi, who was protesting in Karaj by putting her hair up into a bun (linked footage shows her moments before the shooting) – she was shot by authorities.
The Iranian government has been cutting off the Internet and restricting access to apps including Instagram and WhatsApp.
On social media, women are cutting off their hair on-camera to show solidarity with protestors, and spread awareness of the oppressive, mandatory hijab laws.
The background context
There is more behind these protests than the death of Mahsa Amini alone. The people of Iran have been persistent in protesting against the corruption, mismanagement and oppressive laws of the government for years.
It’s a familiar story that we’re seeing unfold in other countries too. Since at least 2017, Iranian people have been protesting against extortionate fuel prices, power and Internet blackouts, water restrictions, overall economic collapse, and the totalitarian government regime. In November 2019, an estimated 1500 people were killed in protests over water shortages.
The protests are part of a broader democracy movement in Iran, fighting against the strict theocratic rule of the current government system that has been in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Women of Iran-Saghez removed their headscarves in protest against the murder of Mahsa Amini 22 Yr old woman by hijab police and chanting:
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 17, 2022
death to dictator!
Removing hijab is a punishable crime in Iran. We call on women and men around the world to show solidarity. #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/ActEYqOr1Q
1979 Islamic Revolution: From 1921 to 1953, Iran was ruled as a constitutional monarchy by the Pahlavi family dynasty (assisted into power by British imperial forces). In 1953, a power struggle saw the Shah (king) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi dismiss the democratically-elected government so that the power would sit with the monarchy alone (the U.K. and U.S. helped this happen). With complete control, Mohammad Reza Shah aggressively Westernised Iran. While the economy grew rapidly, not everyone was onboard as the benefits were not being spread evenly across the country.
In the 70s, opposition to the Pahlavi family’s tightly held rule continued to grow. Unlikely alliances were formed to overthrow the Shah: leftist groups, secular academics and religious scholars, including Islamic cleric Ruhollah Khomeini who had been exiled from Iran in 1964.
The 1978 Cinema Rex fire, in which 400 people were killed, is often pinpointed as the beginning of the revolution. Huge protests forced Shah Reza to leave Iran in January 1979, ending the family’s reign. In an April referendum, the public voted to become an Islamic republic, approving a new constitution that installed a Supreme Leader to essentially lead the country and guide the government – Khomeini took that role. Leftists and secular groups that had helped drive the revolution were shut out.
The 1979 revolution was a shock to a lot of the Western world. In line with the new religious constitution and ideology of the Ayatollah Khomeini, strict laws were introduced particularly for women. This included a mandatory dress code, forcing women to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing in public. The Guidance Police were created to enforce these ‘morality’ laws.
Ayatollah Khomeini remained Iran’s Supreme Leader until he died in 1989. The current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, took over and remains in the role today.
Mahsa Amini, 22, was arrested by Iran’s morality police for so-called “inappropriate hijab”. She fell into a coma at a police station and sadly died at a hospital today. Morality police claim she had a “sudden heart attack”. Her mother says Mahsa was murdered by the authorities. pic.twitter.com/ibWOnMBROk
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) September 16, 2022
What happens next?
The head of the Guidance Patrol has reportedly been suspended. But beyond answers on Amini’s death, what the Iranian people are really calling for is an entire reform of their government.
Under Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran has become increasingly conservative and strict in the application of its religious laws. Raisi is in New York right now for the U.N General Assembly, and on his agenda is negotiating a nuclear agreement with the U.S. If Iran agrees to restrictions on its nuclear development activity, the U.S. will drop the expensive sanctions straining Iran’s economy, which could relieve some of the pressure on its public. The negotiations haven’t been going super well so far.
Whether this is the tipping point for the Iranian people remains to be seen.
Comments are closed.