By: Estefani Cruz
Throughout the districts of Tehran, women of disparate ethnicities parade down the streets in unity to protest their injustices. They bear signs that read "women, life, freedom" and chant slogans opposing the oppressive regime. Following the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran's Morality Police for allegedly violating Iran's strict Islamic dress code requiring women to wear headscarves, demonstrators have called for abolishing the morality police and mandatory hijab law. Amnini’s name has come to represent the larger struggle of women and their aspirations and ideals. The protests in Iran for fair and just treatment of women have evolved to be more than just about women's rights and their demands and are a cry for an end to the Islamic Republic.
Since the enactment of the hijab law in April 1983, women and foreigners, regardless of religious views, are obliged to wear headscarves in public settings and are faced with fines or imprisonment as retribution if seen violating the mandate. However, in January 2018, officers modified how they policed a woman's appearance. In a report published by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, women who fail to observe the dress code will have to attend classes on "Islamic Values" given by the police, where they will sign a form promising not to commit the "bad hijabi" offense again. However, this loosely defined law leaves room for interpretation and for officers to abuse their power to rule women unjustly.
Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old woman traveling from Saqqez to Tehran when she was confronted by the Morality Police and accused of violating the hijab law. Despite wearing a loose-fitted black robe that covered her body, law enforcement officers persisted in sending her to a detention center for reeducation. Such facilities exist to allegedly teach violators how to properly wear a headscarf and uphold their government's values. However, several women have come forward claiming to have witnessed security forces molesting Amini on her journey to the establishment and prior to her eventual death in their custody.
Mahsa Amini's tragedy has united Iranian women of all ages to protest injustice and resist the strict laws of their society. In the several months since her death, Amini has become a symbol of Iran's recent national uprising and remains a crucial figure in the long-standing, fundamental fight for women’s rights.
Works Cited
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Maranlou , Sahar. “Hijab Law in Iran over the Decades: The Continuing Battle for Reform.” The Conversation, 8 Nov. 2022, https://theconversation.com/hijab-law-in-iran-over-the-decades-the-continuing-battle-for-reform-192037#:~:text=Wearing%20hijab%20became%20obligatory%20for,Muslims%20and%20foreigners%20visiting%20Iran.
Serhan, Yasmeen. “What Success of Women-Led Protests Say about Iran's Future.” Time, Time, 10 Nov. 2022, https://time.com/6232168/women-led-protests-iran-future/.
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