Iran protests: Mahsa Amini's death sparks anger towards country’s moral policing

While a part of the world is fighting for women's freedom, Iran’s authorities are adamant about making Iranian women wear a hijab. On September 13, a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran. The woman was detained by the police for not wearing a hijab in public. She was kept in police custody for three days.

On September 16, Iranian authorities stated that Mahsa died of a heart attack while in police custody. However, the reports claimed that she was beaten up by police authorities following which she slipped into coma. This created a widespread protest across Iran.

The family members of Mahsa Amini were neither allowed to see the footage of the arrest nor see their daughter's body, which was presented to them wrapped in a sheet. Her father, Amjad Amini, claimed to have noticed bruises on Mahsa’s feet.

The response of Iranians to Mahsa Amini’s death

• Many people do not believe the claim that Amini’s death was natural.
• After Mahsa’s funeral on September 17, Iranians began demonstrations in the Kurdistan province of Iran.
• The protest soon took a vast leap, and thousands of Iranians joined.
• The Iranians burned their hijabs, and the videos of the same got internet users’ support.

FAQs

1. What is the reaction of the Iranian government?
   The Iranian government is stressed about the situation and is taking measures to control the riots. They have deployed special forces armed with guns, batons, and water cannons. Much to the natives’ pain, Tehran's power is cut at night. Mobile services, including applications like Instagram and WhatsApp, have been blocked, and wireless access has also been disrupted.
2. What do the laws of Iran say about the hijab?
   Following the Islamic Revolution in the early ‘80s, wearing a hijab was made mandatory in public in Iran. Gasht-e Ershad is a specialised morality police deployed in Iran whose role is to ensure that Iranian women wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing when appearing in public. If someone violates the modesty laws, they are sent to "reeducation centers".However, Iranian women are against such laws. There was a movement in 2017 called "Girls of Revolution Street" in which 29 people were detained for taking off their hijabs and waving them. The women of Iran have high hopes of a change from the ongoing protests.