Why the Women of Iran are Leading a Revolution
Unveiled women are marching the streets of Iran protesting decades of oppression as the death of a young woman sparked a new wave of revolution. These women are challenging one of the main pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in the streets. Despite being faced with violence, they are standing strong for the reform of a repressive system and the world is standing with them.
It began when 22-Year-old Mahsa Amini was visiting the Capital of Tehran with her family. On September 13, 2022, she was arrested by the Morality Police for wearing her Hijab improperly. Amini was then brought to a detention center to be educated on the country's strict dress code when the authorities claimed she collapsed due to sudden heart failure. She was then taken to the hospital and spent several days in a coma before passing away on September 16. Amini’s family believes her death was due to abuse at the hands of the police while she was in their custody. They argued that she was healthy prior to her arrest with no pre-existing heart conditions.
All women in Iran over the age of nine are required to cover their hair with a hijab and dress in long loose clothing to protect their honor. This strict dress code is enforced by the Morality Police upon foreign and native women in the country. Breaking this law can result in fines, public shaming, and even arrest. The police have even been known to show more aggression toward women of different economic and social statuses as well as religions, noting that Mahsa Amini was a Kurdish woman.
Amini's death caused a spark in the women of Iran who now feel they have nowhere to turn. They began protesting in the streets, burning their headscarves, and cutting their hair out of anger and dissent against how the authorities treat women in their country. The women of Iran see themselves in Amini as she has become a symbol of the repression they have faced for decades, and they have had enough.
The protests began 48 hours after Amini's death and have spread to as many as 80 cities, resulting in dozens of deaths and countless arrests. Protestors are being faced with tear gas, open fire, and violence upon the crowds. Mobile networks have been disrupted and social apps like Instagram and WhatsApp have been fully blocked in order to cease further communication among protestors as well as with the outside world.
The women in Iran have come together for the first time despite race, religion, or economic status to fight for their right to make choices. Whether they personally choose to wear the hijab or not, they all have rallied in the streets on behalf of women everywhere and their right to be heard. Since the Islamic republic has inflated the economy, unemployment is on the rise and they are enforcing stricter regulations upon women’s choices, there is nothing left for them to lose which is making these protests alone a mark in history towards progression. The future of women's rights in Iran will forever be changed as this revolution against oppression remains steady at the hands of the protestors. Even if these women do not win, they have already won in so many ways because their stance against the theocratic state has already made the government weaker.
Western Feminist are being asked to speak up and join the women of Iran in their war against despotism in their country. Keep the conversation going. Not only spreading the word but staying educated and supporting all the women in your life can help keep this movement in the light and push it further along. Women everywhere deserve the freedom of choice and the right to govern their own bodies.
