While the protests in Iran are continuing after the death of Mahsa Amini, international organisations and women’s rights groups are also raising the demands of Iranian women.
Protests are growing in Iran and around the world after the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini was arrested by the “morality police” for violating the country’s headscarf laws on the 13th of September and died three days after falling into a coma.
As Los Angeles Times reports, the protests are also a response to increasing repressive policies by the incumbent. As the newspaper notes, last month, authorities announced they would aggressively crack down on what they consider violations of hijab rules (requiring modest dress), from showing hair to “bad makeup.” Another measure proposed by the incumbent was the usage of using facial recognition technology in public spaces to enforce the dress code against women.
Women, Life, Freedom
The protestors in Iran are marked by women dropping their headscarves and the togetherness with pro-women and anti-government slogans. As reports demonstrate, demonstrators are using the slogan “Women, life, freedom” and some of the messages include statements like “death to the oppressor, whether it’s a king or the leader.” As the New York Times reports, some other slogans include “Mullahs get lost,” “We don’t want an Islamic republic,” and “Death to the supreme leader.”
The popular protests have been met with state repression. As the UN reported, Security forces responded to the protests with live ammunition, and many people have been killed, injured and detained in the protests. Iran’s Human Rights Organization announced that 57 people lost their lives in the protests so far. The number can be even higher.
International Solidarity Growing
Women from all over the world continue to show their reactions by sharing videos of them cutting their hair and burning their headscarves.To also express solidarity, Turkish singer Melek Mosso also cut her hair during a concert in Istanbul. Before cutting her hair, Mosso said, “I want to tell you this: I am with my sisters in Iran, I am speaking for them. Woman, life, freedom. “Tonight, I sing on behalf of all women, no one will be able to take away our freedom”.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also issued a statement urging the security forces to stop using “unnecessary or disproportionate force”. He added that President Raisi needs “to respect human rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association”. Nada Al-Nashif, the UN’s acting high commissioner for human rights, condemned the crackdown of the security forces and called for an independent investigation.
News outlet Jadaliyya hosted an event with scholars of Iran and its diasporas to discuss the anti-government protests. The speakers contextualized the protests within the broader struggle for women’s rights in Iran and transnational feminist movements. The event created a platform for sharing knowledge and understanding the networks of solidarity.
Human rights organisations are also raising their voices on the crackdown in Iran. Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, stated: “We see the images of Iranian people from across the country bravely standing up to security forces, of women cutting off their hair and setting their scarves on fire. Dozens of people, including children, have been killed so far and hundreds injured. The voices of the courageous people of Iran desperately crying out for international support must not be ignored.”