The protest in Iran has become prominent in today's media after a young woman was arrested for failing to cover her hair modestly enough.
Mahsa Amini was 22 and came to the Iranian capital from her hometown in the province of Kurdistan. After having just a few strands of hair out of her headscarf she was arrested, and what followed shows a major human rights issue in Iran right now.
Three days after she was arrested, it was found that she had passed away. Protest immediately broke out as rage and anger spread from her hometown, to now all of Iran. These protests were mostly led by women as they held pictures of Mahsa Amini up in the air.
They chant in these protests, “Zhin, Zhiyan, Azadi” meaning women, life, freedom. Iranian women have been facing police and security forces for multiple days with no headscarf or covering of their hair at all. From these protests, more people have died, and in order to keep the protesters from communicating the government turned to an intense point by shutting down the internet entirely. Famous and popular Iranian celebrities, actors, and athletes have come out publicly in aid of the protestors, insisting the state stop and listen to them. Women in protests have been removing their veils and head scarves as well as burning them, but women have also started to cut their hair. In Iran, hair is a sign of beauty that is ordered to be hidden but removing the headscarves and cutting their hair is a strong form of protest. This has been happening for many days now in all parts of Iran including deeply religious ones.
What is happening in Iran right now is a major human rights issue that has grabbed the world’s attention. Mainly this is a rights issue for women who desire to be free to exercise their bodily autonomy without the oppression of the government. By shutting down the network to reduce the expression and communication of the protesters they are only worsening the unjust situation of the people in Iran, not just women. The Iranian Regime is counting on people in the west to stay quiet and not care. This is how they are continuing to hold the people of Iran hostage, shutting down the network, and cutting off most communication.
The issue of women’s rights has been on the minds of many Americans due to recent events in Iran and in the U.S. Social Media has served a great purpose in sharing information on what is going on in Iran.
Those looking to help Iranian protesters can do so by donating to the U.S.-based human rights organizations that focus on Iran such as Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), and Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
The more attention which is focused on Iran will make it more difficult for the Islamic Republic and the Iranian regime to do more to repress and hurt the protesters.