In September 2022, Kurdish-Iranian student Mahsa Amini died in Iran after being arrested by the “morality police” for not wearing her veil (hijab) “properly” — in their eyes. The government claimed that Mahsa had a heart attack and fell into a coma, but activists and several witnesses claimed the opposite: the young woman was severely beaten by the police and died from a fatal head injury, as it was later proved by a CT scan. Her death sparked protests around the country and drew international attention to the lack of human rights there, as anti-government ideas spread even further.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran led to several crucial changes in every citizen’s life, especially those of women and young girls. The use of the veil, known as hijab, was made mandatory, and “modesty” became law: every female was required to cover herself — no thighs, chest, or even shoulders should be shown — and those who were against were severly punished by the so-called “morality” police. It is important to understand that this new republic was being secretly supported by the British government as a means of profiting from oil reserves, as it was shown in the book “Persépolis”, of Marjane Satrapi.
As many people tend to blame the Islamic faith for the constant oppression against women in Middle Eastern countries, it’s important to understand that the country has been Muslim since the Arab invasion of Persia, in 642. In fact, the Quran contains many verses, known as “sunnah”, establishing rights for women and recognizing them as human beings — not as “sinful demons” like traditional Christianity — , also advocating for their rights to be heard. Therefore, the oppression we see today is merely the result of what the modern colonizer, who now preaches against the Islamic faith, helped create.
In “Women’s Rights in Islam” by Murtadã Motahhari, the author tells the story of how Muslim communities always had pro-women movements at their roots, but never gained recognition for not exactly aligning with what the occidental world supported. He also discusses how even the Prophet Muhammad would advocate for women’s rights of choice, for example marriage, and how the Islamic faith was based on the belief that women and men are not actually equal, and therefore they should have different rights to support their own needs.
In conclusion, faith was used to serve men’s beliefs and distort the people’s minds to support a dictatorial government, which eventually resulted in the death of women who wanted to be free and think for themselves. One of those women was Mahsa, who lived trying to remain her rebellious self and died fighting for it, at the hands of state forces who constantly try to shut down women’s voices. But what they didn’t know was that it would only make her voice and a million others louder.
Tired of being silenced, Iranian women rushed to the streets in a protest never seen since the revolution, to advocate for Mahsa, themselves, and all young women who should never face such oppression. Authorities tried everything to shut down the protests: more police brutality, internet access was restricted, yet the protests didn’t stop. In 2023, the government tried to tighten the “dress code” laws, but the fight continued. “Us Iranian women have gotten to a point where it’s either death or freedom for us. We will pay any price, but we won’t go back to what life was before” said a woman from Tehran, for The Washington Post.
Unfortunately, the country just continues to get poorer due to an economic and social crisis, with women being the main victims. Activist Simin Yaqoubian states: “Working women, especially single mothers, suffer disproportionately under these circumstances. Many of them are in an acute existential crisis.” Even with more women in parliament, the reality remains harsh, but at the same time, Iranian women’s fight becomes even stronger as they become increasingly.
———-
The article above was edited by Maryanna Arison.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Líbero home page for more!