The Soldiers of Iran are Women

“Women in Iran have grown increasingly defiant of the country’s modesty laws since 2014.” Thousands have been protesting since September 16, 2022, as a reaction to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Amini tragically died within the custody of the morality police. Amini had been taken into custody because she violated Iran’s strict Islamic dress code. Amiry Moghaddam speaks about the Islamic Republic and how “what they stand for, is not compatible with equality between men and women.”

The authorities claim that Amini had died from heart failure- though her family and protestors throughout Iran have accused the government of covering up her murder. Iran’s security forces say that when she was arrested, she was taken to a detention center where she had even received training on hijab rules and then ultimately collapsed from a heart attack and passed away at the Tehran hospital. Though Amini’s family had denied what the security forces came out with and said that the police had beaten Amini in their patrol car on their way to the detention center according to witnesses. Along with this, Amini’s father had also stated that he was not allowed to see her body at the hospital though he caught a glimpse of her foot which looked to be bruised. There were also reports that showed her cause of death is from a skull fracture which was a result of heavy blows to the head.

The protests have continued to express anger over multiple issues, not just the restrictions women face over the hijabs but also other government issues. “All Iranian people are being affected by this. The men are fighting for their sisters and their mothers and their daughters, they don’t want this for them either.” As the protests continue, the Iranian government keeps insisting that Amini wasn’t beaten and died from a heart attack. The protests continue to grow- though so does the violence. Iranians' fight for women's rights is not over this is just the beginning.