Iranian Women Go Without Hijabs as Mahsa Amini’s Death Anniversary Nears
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Sulaiman - . September 15, 2024
- . Update: September 16, 2024 4:15 pm
More Iranian women are going out without the hijab two years after the death of Mahsa Amini. This is happening even though the government still insists on the head scarves for women. Citizens witness this change on the roads of Iranian cities, especially after sunset.
Why did Mahsa Amini Die?
Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old woman who died on September 16, 2022. The morality police arrested her because according to them she was not properly covering her head with the hijab. This is a picture of an Iranian woman protest after her death. It began with Women, Life, Freedom, and then the protests turned against the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Her memory endures beyond death.”
— پارمیدا تهرانی (@ParmydaT) September 13, 2024
Her name still is our emblem.#MahsaAmini #IranRevolution persists.
We shall overcome ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/FFDa8nFIDC
Iran Protests and Government Reaction
The protests in Iran were huge after the death of Mahsa Amini. The government attempted to interfere with them and ultimately over 500 people were killed. More than 22 thousand people were detained. The morality police is back on the streets despite the protests having stopped. They sometimes inflict pain on women who are not clad in hijabs.
Ongoing Hijab Protests
Nevertheless, the threat is still there and many women are still deciding not to wear hijabs. This is even more evident in the evenings and during the weekends especially in parks. Some videos are being posted on social media in which women are shown moving around without hijabs. This is very different from how things were right after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, for example, where the West especially the US used to openly support the Shah of Iran.
Measures Taken by Government on Hijab Demonstrations
These hijab protests are a major concern for the government and it is now attempting to curb them. They utilize cameras to look for women not wearing the hijabs in their cars. They even hover over crowds in flying drones to see those women who did not cover themselves properly during events. The government also penalizes establishments in which women are photographed without their head scarves.
Iran Women’s Rights and International Concern
This is because the United Nations has concerns over women’s rights in Iran. Here they say that the government is employing more strategies to punish noncompliant women. While the new Iranian president recently claimed he would not bother women about hijabs anymore, the final say still lies in Ayatollah Khamenei. He has also stated that not wearing a hijab is unlawful in religion as well as politics.
This is the Legacy of Mahsa Amini
Most of the Iranian women believe that not wearing a hijab is one way of honoring the memory of Mahsa Amini. Azadeh, a 25-year-old student, said, “My quasi-courage for not wearing scarves is a legacy of Mahsa Amini and we have to protect this as an achievement. ” She also said Mahsa Amini could have been her age if she were alive.
Looking Forward
Even as the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death is approaching, the situation in Iran remains tense. Women are aspiring for their rights even though this is risky. The protest for women’s rights in Iran that came after Mahsa Amini’s death is still continuous which means that there are people who want change in Iran.
