By Ziti lei 30/09/22
Image source: Iran: Deaths Mount as Mahsa Amini Protests Continue
Background
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman from the north-western city of Saqez, died in a hospital in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstances, allegedly due to police brutality.
The Guidance Patrol, the morality police of Iran's Law Enforcement Command, arrested Amini for
violating the law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab and their arms and legs with loose clothing when she was visiting the capital Tehran with her family. She collapsed after being taken to a detention centre to be "educated".
Police said she suddenly went into heart failure at a station, fell on the floor, and died after two days in a coma while her family has said Ms Amini was fit and healthy. At the same time , eyewitnesses and women who were detained with Amini said she was severely beaten, which in addition to her leaked medical scans, led independent observers to diagnose cerebral hemorrhage and stroke.
What is Happening Now
Amini's death resulted in a series of large-scale protestsacross the country. Protests first erupted in Ms.Amini’s hometown in northwest Iran after her funeral on Sept.17, spreading to Tehran and other cities. Protesters burned headscarves, attacked symbols of the regime and clashed with police.In Tehran, students faced off against police, voicing anger over restrictions on freedoms. Many female students from all-female Al-Zahra University removed their headscarves.
At the same time, her death comes in the wake of growing reports of repressive acts against women, including those judged not to be complying with Islamic dress code being barred from entering government offices and banks. Videos have emerged on social media appearing to show officers detaining women, dragging them on the ground, and forcefully whisking them away.
Many Iranians, including pro-government individuals, are expressing their outrage on social media platforms regarding the very existence of the morality police.
Facing unassuaged public furry and an increasingly politicised backlash,the government of Iran not only suppressed the protests, shooting protesters with birdshot and metal pellets, deploying tear gas and water cannons, but also blocked access to many appsincluding Instagram and WhatsApp, and limited internet accessibility to reduce protesters' ability to organize. The government’s repression has caused death of 16people in Western Iran and the restriction of internet would be the most severe in Iran since 2019, when the internet was shut down completely.
What This Means to the Local Community and Wider Implications
The Turning Point of Human Rights in Iran
Will this protest, which not only primarily for Amini’s family, but also for those in Iran seeking to build an open society where human rights, and women’s right be respected be the one to make real change in the society? Maybe this time we can have a more positive answer than the similar protest in 2018 which produced not change but renewed repression. The unprecedented bravery showed by young women are quite inspiring. Also, it is also great to see many young men and older generation disappointed by the regime in the crowds to show their support for the protest. The demonstration is by no means an accident, but a request for reformation. Most Iranians think hijab-wearing is a woman’s choice rather than mandatory religious regulation. In 2020, 72% Iranians in an independent survey opposed compulsory hijab.
Wider International Attention
The protests in Iran garnered international attention, including a statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, putting a focus on violence against women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Several leaders, organizations, and celebrities around the world condemned the incident as an example of the systemic abuse of women by Iran's morality police and expressed solidarity with the protesters. The United States Department of the Treasury furthermore imposed sanctions on the morality police and Iranian leaders in various security organizations.
What We Can Do to Help
Stop Violent Repression and Internet Blockade
Now, even facing unassuaged public fury and an increasingly politicised backlash, regime leaders have launched a violent crackdown, causing more deaths. Also, the government is trying to brush off blame for Amini’s death and repress the protest by disrupting the internet services and usage of social networks, such as WhatsApp and Instagram. Therefore, more attention and more pressure are needed from international society to urge Iran to stop violent repression and internet blockade.
Impartial Investigation Needed
The acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif said that Amini’s “tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment’ must ‘be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority, that ensures, in particular, that her family has access to justice and truth”.
Human Rights Should be Respected
Spokesperson for the UN rights office OHCHR, Ms. Shamdasani also stated that “women should not be punished for what they are wearing” and “Women who defy these compulsory veiling rules should not be harassed, should not be subjected to violence and there needs to be a fair investigation.”UN and other international organizations should urge Iran to respect human rights and women rights in their country.
Help Iranian Women and Support their Protest
l Donate to the NCRI Women’s Committee
The NCRI Women’s Committee works to be “the voice of Iranian women” and fights to achieve gender equality in the country. Donations to the NCRI Women’s Committee will support the committee’s efforts to help achieve equal rights for Iranian women.
l Use social media to amplify the voices of people in Iran
Help Iranian people to speak up and gather more attention from international Sources
Wikipedia
BBC News, “Fury in Iran as young woman dies following morality police arrest”, 16thSeptember 2022
Greenmatters, “How to Help Women in Iran Amid Protests, Which Have Already Killed Nine People”, 23rdSeptember 2022
The Guardian, “The Observer view on the backlash in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini”, 25thSeptember 2022
UN News, “Alarm over Iranian woman’s death after ‘improper’ hijab arrest”, 20thSeptember 2022
Africanews, “ 'It could have been you': Protests in London over death of Mahsa Amini”, 25thSeptember 2022
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