Nina Kummer on the protests against women’s disenfranchisement
On September 13, Iranian Kurdish Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran by the religious and moral police. She was taken to the police station for not wearing her headscarf according to strict regulations. There she collapsed under mysterious circumstances and was pronounced dead three days later in the hospital. According to police, she suffered a heart attack. However, according to human rights activists, Amini died from a fatal blow to her head. The assumption that it is murder is supported by a CT scan of her skull, which according to media reports shows a broken bone, bleeding and cerebral edema.
This is not an isolated case in the Islamic Republic, but part of the systematic oppression of women and minorities: since Amini’s death, more and more people in Iran and around the world have been taking to the streets to protest and show solidarity. Images of women burning their headscarves or cutting their hair go around the world. The protests are about much more than the headscarf requirement. The people are demanding democracy and human rights for Iran and an end to police violence. The vice police, who repeatedly crack down on women, are hated. The demonstrators initially called for the strict dress code for women to be relaxed. In the meantime, however, it is about the elimination of the dictatorial regime. During the protests there are numerous arrests and deaths, the police proceed with all severity against the demonstrators. People protest for their freedom and thereby endanger their lives.
In times of the climate crisis, the Ukraine war and Corona, we must not lose sight of the situation in Iran. We have to show solidarity with the protesters in Iran, go to rallies and demonstrations, talk about them, share posts, inform ourselves and be there for fellow Iranians. Because in Germany we have the privilege of being able to live in a democracy that enables us to make our concerns public without fear! kuni