As humans that hold principles and morals, we have failed to acknowledge the oppression that Iranians have gone through for generations, specifically the women and youth of the nation.
The protests have engulfed the country and the overwhelming experience of living in Iran has failed to be noticed by the media. The heavy hand on the way women are meant to live, dress and act has always been held over their heads in Iran for decades, significantly showing that it is left to the people of Iran to fix the wrongs of their country. The restrictions do not end at dress code and mandatory vailing, if a police officer were to deem a woman’s behavior as inappropriate, they are allowed to beat her and serve up to 6 months of imprisonment. When 22 years old, Mahsi Amini was tragically murdered in the custody of the Iranian police on September 16th, only three days prior to the incident she was arrested for violating dress code and failing to “properly” wear her hijab. This flamed the fire of thousands of women who could no longer withstand the tyranny of their government and officially fueled the nationwide protest that would take place. Many countries with a fascist government have never been welcoming of freedom of expression, especially media, and Iran is no different. Thousands of people, many of whom are women and children, have been arrested and more than 300 people have been killed by the Iranian soldiers. Iranian women have been consumed by the fear and constant fight back for their rights, they have faced arrest, torture, imprisonment, and even death sentences. Even despite these tragic ends, the average woman is still objectified and married off to a man at the age of 13. The demand for freedom and equality has never left the thoughts of these women and it is left up to the rest of the world to stand behind them in hopes of a better future.
Comments