Mahsa Amini: Killed for choosing autonomy

By Sofia Rojas, 10th Grade

Mahsa Amini, 22, passed away on September 16 in northern Tehran. She had been brought to the hospital after being arrested the same week. Amini allegedly endured abuse after being taken to a “re-education institution.” The family of Amini claims that police beat her to death, despite the Iranian morality police denying any wrongdoing.

A division of Iran’s police force is known as the “guidance patrols” or morality police. All women over the age of puberty are required by law to dress loosely and cover their heads. Girls are typically required to wear hijabs in schools starting at age 7, although this does not obligate them to do so in other public settings. The issue with this legislation, though, stems from the lack of a clear definition of what constitutes “acceptable” or “immoral” behavior.

Anti-government demonstrations spread across the country as a result of everyone’s outrage over Amini’s death. After Amini’s funeral, these manifestations began and quickly became overly aggressive. As of right now, 76 protesters have been slain by Iranian security forces, and over 1,200 individuals have been wrongfully detained. Because Amini was assassinated for not wearing a hijab, the present Iranian government has been the target of tremendous revolting. This has led to the Iranian government restricting all internet usage inside the country, though the measure didn’t stop protesters from seeking an outlet to spread their message. Even so, for the past 11 days, hundreds of clips have been surging online in which reformers can be heard chanting anti-government taglines.

However, women have been one of the most significant support groups in Iran. Women have trimmed their hair and burned their hijabs to show support locally and internationally. TikTok is one of the largest sites where online protest has been taking place. Throughout this outlet, hundreds of users have shown their support against the Iranian government and its constant acts of cruelty and corruption.

In conclusion, it’s critical to remember that women have the right to make appropriate clothing choices. No institution or government should be able to determine what is appropriate or not.

References:

Chappell, B., & Hernandez, J. (2022, September 21). Why Iranian women are burning their hijabs after the death of Mahsa Amini. NPR.org. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2022/09/21/1124237272/mahsa-amini-iran-women-protest-hijab-morality-police

Demirci, G. (2022, September 26). Hadis Najafi, who became the symbol of protests in Iran, was killed. Expat Guide Turkey. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://expatguideturkey.com/hadis-najafi-who-became-the-symbol-of-protests-in-iran-was-killed/