On March 8 of this year, March 8 relates to the women’s martial arts championship, some Iranian women defended women’s rights in the streets without a hijab and even female detainees refused food to commemorate the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death. The 22-year-old ended up arrest for violating the Iranian hijab laws, and died in custody in 2022.
During daytime and post sunset in parks, women from the Northern affluent suburbs and Southern workers class of the Tehran are uncovered from hijab.
25 year old student from Tehran Sharif University, Azadeh told AP, “Not wearing a scarf is a disobedience to me even it is in honor of Mahsa Amini and I will defend it as such achievement.” She was also sad upon Amini’s death saying, “If she didn’t die, she would probably be my age right now.”
Shopkeepers and other traders went on a strike in several cities in western and northwestern Iran including the cities of Sanandaj, Divandarreh, Mahabad, and Bukan, to mark the second year since the death of Amini.
Hunger strikes by convicts
Walidaya believes that hunger strike actions undertaken by 34 women imprisoned in Evin Prison in Tehran were dedicated to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement as well as Mahsa Amini’s death as reported by the Instagram account associated with Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel long jailed peace laureate. It added that the prisoners sought to “go out and join the protesting people of Iran against the government’s oppressive policies.”
Notable activists who took part in this action include Narges Mohammadi, Verisheh Moradi, Mahbobeh Rezaei, and Parivash Muslimi.
Social networks were filled with numerous videos that showed how women were beaten and treated poorly for not wearing a hijab.
Amini’s parents barred from visiting daughter’s grave.
As reported by the news agency Kurdistan Human Rights Network, this time Iranian police has provided protection to the house of Mahsa Amini’s parents in Saqqez due to whole political pressure. Information obtained indicates that the house has been surrounded by officials of the ministry of intelligence while intimidating and restricting the family from either leaving the premises or going to Amini grave. The graveyard hub where Amini was laid to rest has likewise been cordoned off.
Mozhgan Eftekhari, Amini Argentina’s mother, went on the social platform to insult all those whom she accused of causing the death of her daughter. She said, “they shall be condemned for ever in history.” Eftekhari noted that Masha was taken by ‘those wicked persons, who could not bear the loveliness of the daughter of their nation’ when ho went to the capital.
The reasons behind Amini’s death
Mahsa Amini passed away on 16th september 2022 in the course of this narrative while in the custody of the morality police of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the ‘offense’ of properly wearing the hijab. Her death led to vigorous opposition sparking protests that engulfed Iran and wider protests across moderate leaders Muslim society reaching streets, schools & universities for months against powerful Ayatollah Khamenei. Dozens were shot and died and many more injured and/or arrested during this turmoil including mass protests.
She’s in police custody and Amini’s family alleged that she was tortured inside the police truck shortly after. However, this was refuted by the state, which claimed she suffered a stroke while at the hospital and passed away.
Over the years, the hijab has served as a tool of religion as well as a pillar of politics in the Country. Nonetheless, with the demise of president Ebrahim Raisi, one comes across a relaxation of the rigid hijab enforcement th… In the words of the new president Masoud Pezeshkian, women will no longer be subjected to harassment by the morality police. Still, the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is still the jack of all the decisions despite being old. He has stated that unveiling is a ‘nd” interpointer, hate and everywhere politically and religiously intolerable.
And now, some restrictions have been lifted, but still, the Iranian regime targets business that allows females to work without hijab. In relation to this, the UN reports use of surveillance cameras and aerial drones to catch and punish bareheaded women, especially in public places and during specific occasions such as the 2024 Tehran International Book Fair and in a lighter note on the Kish Island.
