On September 16, Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman, died after being held in custody by the Iranian police. Amini was arrested after she allegedly violated Iran’s dress code for women. Following her death, countless protests have broken out not only just in Iran but also throughout many countries across the world to fight back for women’s rights.
Caption: The Iranian protest fighting for women’s freedom and social justice
Amini was charged with revealing her hair, violating Iran’s strict dress code for women. Three days after her arrest, Amini was reported to have died due to a severe attack at a station by the Iranian “morality police.” However, many eyewitnesses claimed differently — women who were detained with Amini testified that the police severely beat up the young woman. Following her death, Iranian officials have promised an investigation while the president claimed: “that responsibility now lay in the hands of the judiciary.”
Despite the assurance of an investigation, public outcry quickly followed. Just hours after Amini was reported dead, multiple protests broke out outside of the hospital in which she stayed. Demonstrations immediately spread to other cities in Iran as both men and women came out to fight against the brutality of the Iranian police. Many women took a stand in the protests as they removed their headscarves and burned them with fire, shouting “death to the dictator.” These sorts of acts were not restricted to Iran, either. Many other countries, including the US, Canada, Turkey, and a variety of those in Europe, joined in to raise their voices.
Weeks after the death of Masha Amini, the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, publicly criticized the US and Israel, blaming the two countries for the outbreak of protests. He quoted, “These riots and insecurities were designed by America and the Zionist regime and their employees.” Meanwhile, President Joe Biden of the United States pledged to take action against those responsible for Amini’s death and expressed his concerns for the peaceful protesters in Iran. President Biden also mentioned that “the United States stands with Iranian women and all the citizens of Iran who inspire the world with their bravery.”
Written by Hayun Kim | Associate Editor
Revised by Yoonhye Cho | Managing Editor
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