This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wisconsin chapter.

The story of Mahsa Amini

Mahsa Amini died on September 16, 2022. She was 22 years old.

Amini was arrested by Iranian authorities in Tehran, Iran, on September 13, 2022, for “inappropriate attire.” Allegedly, she was not wearing her hijab in compliance with Iran’s dress codes for women in public. She collapsed in a detention center three days after her arrest and was promptly taken to the hospital. She died a few hours later. Witnesses have informed Amini’s family that she was severely beaten by officers in the detention center, but Iranian officials claim that the cause of death was an unrelated and unprovoked heart attack. While the reason for her death is disputed, the result remains the same. A young woman was taken into custody, punished, beaten and ultimately died all because her hair was showing in public.

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Word spread like wildfire: the dress codes imposed on women in Iran have become lethal.

Her hometown of Saqez erupted in protest on September 17, the day of her funeral. Hundreds of people gathered to chant “Woman, Life, Freedom.” Within a few days, the protests spread to neighboring cities, the capitol and throughout the rest of Iran. The security and police forces within Iran have cracked down on protests with teargas and gunfire, and they’ve become increasingly dangerous. As of October 27, at least 216 people had been killed since the protests began. The movement escalated as word of Mahsa’s death was disseminated to the rest of the world. Celebrities began to rally for her support and at least 50 celebrities worldwide have cut off locks of their hair in solidarity with the women of Iran.

Mahsa Amini is not the only victim of the violence of Iran’s morality police. Her death caught the media’s attention and has spiraled into a massive movement across Iran, but I’d like to be clear that hundreds of other women have experienced abuse for the same reason, though their situations have been less public. It should be acknowledged that this movement goes beyond the unjust death of one woman. It represents the freedom of women across the entire country.

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Protests continue in Iran, even as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten that Saturday, October 29 would be the “last day of the riots.”

The song of the movement is called “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour, which is Farsi for “for” or “because of.” Each line of the ballad begins with “for” and ends with a cause that is representative of everything Iranian citizens are fighting for. Below is an excerpt of the translated lyrics:

“For dancing in the streets

For the fear when kissing

For my sister, your sister, our sisters

For changing rotten brains

For shame of money-lacking

For yearning of just normal life

…

For girls wishing to be boys

For women, life, freedom

For freedom

For freedom”

The song is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and YouTube Music, and several other clips and covers can also be found on YouTube. I highly encourage you to listen, even though you might not understand the words. Music is a true vessel of emotion, regardless of the language barrier.

The death of Mahsa Amini initiated the biggest anti-government movement that Iran has seen in over a decade. A movement that began with a demand for women’s rights has evolved into an outcry against the Shiite clerics that have been central to the authorities of Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. I urge you to continue to follow the movement and support in any way possible.

How to support:

Donate
1. Center for Human Rights in Iran
2. Amnesty International
Protest in solidarity
1. Communities across the world are organizing protests to demonstrate their support for the women in Iran. Check in with your local human rights organizations to see if any protests are happening near you. On September 27, around 100 people gathered in Capitol Square in Madison in solidarity with the protesters in Iran.
Educate yourself and others. Share information to spread awareness of the movement.
1. Too many people I encounter have no idea that this is happening. We’ve all become too comfortable with receiving news through social media ignorant of the things that aren’t showing up in our feeds. Read the news, talk to your friends about what’s going on in the world, and listen to podcasts. The bottom line is this is your world. You should know what happens in it.