Iran is burning. The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini has ignited the freedom struggle of the youth in the country. The people of Iran are fighting to wear what they like, to go out freely, to protect their self-respect….The very foundation of the country’s supreme religious leadership, which controls everything, has begun to melt in the heat of protest.
This is the first time Iran has witnessed such a protest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The youth, especially women, have taken to the streets against the supreme religious leadership, which controls even the government without any opposition. The uneasiness that had been pent up for ages erupted in protest. It was a riot. For Mahsa Amin, who had to sacrifice her life for the sole reason of not wearing hijab properly, this fight is to ensure that there is no more Mahsa Amin in the country. With the increase in international support, the foundations of the religious regime have started to shake.
On September 13, Mahsa Amini, who was going to Tehran with her family from Kurdistan, was detained by the religious affairs police. The offense is not wearing hijab properly. After three days, her lifeless body was found by the family.
It is not the first time that women have been detained and punished for dressing in Iran. But when Mahsa Amini lost his life, the pent-up protests erupted. On September 13, Amini was taken into custody by the police while traveling with his family from Kurdistan to Tehran. Later he was taken to a religious school. Her lifeless body was returned to her family three days later. According to the police, Amini suffered a heart attack while in custody and died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Iranian police also released footage of Amini collapsing and being taken to hospital. But the wound on the head and the fact that there was no previous heart disease made the death suspicious. With the disclosure of an eyewitness that he saw Amini being beaten by the police, the suspicion that the death was a murder became stronger for the family and the general community.
A smoldering volcano exploded with this. The youths who were suffocating inside the prison of religious rules took to the streets in droves. Protests erupted in cities and villages. They don’t know anything about the police. That freedom struggle is continuing by breaking all the restrictions.
The protest first started in Mahsa Amini’s home Kurdish region. It soon spread to the surrounding areas. Young people, especially women, took to the streets, including in the capital, Tehran. In public violation of the religious order, he pulled off his headscarf and burned it in public. Many symbolically cut their hair. It was shared on social media. Soon the protest turned into a riot. Police stations and government buildings were set on fire. The vehicles of religious police were vandalized. With that, the police came down with an iron fist. Lathi-charged and the agitators were dragged through the streets. Shots were fired. About 40 people lost their lives in the conflict with the police. However, as the protests did not end, the internet was cut off in many areas of the country. WhatsApp and Instagram were banned, but to no avail. The rebellion spread to about fifty cities. Spreading to more areas. In his own country, slogans were raised against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei: Death to the dictator. The youth reiterate that religious restrictions cannot be imposed any longer. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, under the direct control of Khamenei, stepped in to quell the protests. He warned that the strike should be stopped and that spreading false information and rumors would result in imprisonment. There was no shortage of protests. A statue of a man believed to be one of the leaders of the 1979 Islamic Revolution was vandalized. Despite all this, the government is not ready to apologize or listen to the protesters. The President only said that an investigation would be conducted into the death of Mahsa Amini. Religious people were also mobilized and held demonstrations in favor of the dress code. Before this, there was a widespread protest against the increase in fuel prices in 2019. Hundreds of people died that day. But this time the suppression will not be easy for the government. The fact that young people are coming to the scene in large numbers and the women’s movement is gaining strength in it is raising a serious challenge for the government.
Mahsa Amini’s death was discussed not only in Iran but also internationally. U.S. to Iran’s Religious Affairs Police Sanctions were imposed. Demonstrations were held in many countries in support of Mahsa Amini.
U.N. The main question faced by the President of Iran who came to New York to participate in the General Assembly was the death of Mahsa Amini. But the response from the President was completely negative. The answer was whether the countries of the world are discussing all the people who are killed in police custody in the United States, and there are protests all over the world. Meanwhile, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran’s religious police. This is in addition to the sanctions imposed for withdrawing from the nuclear deal. Protests in support of Iranian women were also held in countries like Turkey, France and Germany. U.N. against the crackdown on protesters. Secretary General also expressed concern. With this, the administrative leadership is under severe pressure.
The Religious Affairs Police in Iran was formed 15 years ago. Their lakhs are to ensure compliance with the regulations prescribed by the religious leadership, including dress code.