What is Happening in Iran? And Who is Mahsa Amini
Women all over the globe are cutting their hair in support of Iran. But, why?
If you are looking for answers, or maybe just some digestible facts, keep reading.
Before we begin, I should let you know that this article may contain some subject matter that could be disturbing to some readers, so please proceed with caution!
Miles away from our homes, there is Iran. An Islamic republic, a place ruled by what is said to be an “authoritarian government”, and most significantly, a highly misogynistic country. So, let’s start with that:
The majority of the western world knows that the women, and girls of Iran have been treated like “second class” citizens for quite a long period of time. Although this massive (but sadly, not uncommon) problem has been existent for years, there has been absolute silence from all for literally decades. And if you were an Iranian woman residing in Iran, you would probably stay silent too. Because staying quiet isn’t a choice, when it is a matter of safety.
See, there is something called “morality police’’ in Iran. As we don’t have such things here (thankfully..), I’m going to do my best to explain it to you: I think (well, I hope) we all understand, and know what the basic job of a regular police officer is in a country such as Canada; they go around enforcing the law, arresting bad guys… Seems fair enough, right? Well, morality police are nothing like that. They are an entirely separate division of “law enforcers”, they quite literally enforce a code of morality. This can mean a wide range of things really, but in the case of Iran, it refers to the enforcement of wearing hijabs, other conservative islamic clothing, and putting on “rightful’’ behaviours at all times. Now, let’s keep in mind that Iran is also known for its slight corruption, especially in its law enforcement aspects. So, breaking one of these “morality rules’’ often ends with severe punishment and/or penalties. To explain further, it’s like if you broke the dress code, (before you freak out, I don’t think we have one at Heart- phew!) and instead of receiving a detention session, you had to serve actual jail time. Let’s quickly go back to the women of this country being treated as “second class citizens”; what do you think happens if a woman, someone seen as “half-a-man”, as described by the NPR, gets caught breaking one of these morality rules? If you’re thinking the worst, you are likely right. Here is what I know:
As mentioned before, with great difficulty, many Iranian females have tried their hardest to stay off the record and avoid these morality police troubles. Mahsa Amini was one of those people. She is described as a “beautiful, shy, and law abiding, 22 year old woman” by her family. On September 13th of this year, she was simply going to visit her uncle in a different city with the rest of her family, when the morality police confronted her at a train station, and accused her of wearing pants that were “too tight”. They later claimed that her hijab was also incorrect, and too revealing. Terrified for her life, Mahsa and her brother attempted to plead with the police as they threatened to arrest her, and take her away in their government issued van. The police refused to have mercy on the girl, and took her away.
Mahsa’s family waited in front of the police station for two hours before an ambulance came and transported her to a nearby hospital. Her family was left completely in the dark- what had happened to Mahsa? Why was she being taken to a hospital? Her father believes his daughter, with her dreams of studying at a university and having a family of her own, was brutally beaten in the police van. Unfortunately, when he brought this up to the police, they only acknowledged that the cameras in the van were “broken” and therefore neither side could be proven. As Mahsa’s father begged her doctors to disclose some information on his beloved daughter’s unknown condition, Mahsa died of what the police say was a “heart attack”. Eyewitnesses on the other hand, continue spreading the truth: she was mercilessly beaten to death because of the clothing she decided to dress in that morning. No sugar coating, and no easing into it. That is the injustice that happened to Mahsa Amini.
As Mahsa’s violent story reached the news, thousands of Iranian women's cheeks were stained with tears once more. The only difference was that this time, this time, they collectively decided to revolutionize and fight for their rights- their right to choose. And that made history. Men, women, those young, and those old, bravely, and collectively decided to face their fears. They did not want any more women to be brutalized and murdered, and so they went out on to the streets, accepted the risk of arrest, and rallied. They fought to dismantle the morality police.
Mahsa Amini was simply the last straw of a pre-existing problem. Critics say that Mahsa Amini’s death was Iran’s George Floyd moment (and they are absolutely right). Just like George Floyd’s death and its impact on the black community, Mahsa Amini’s death impacted thousands of the targeted group: women.
I strongly believe that is because mothers saw Mahsa Amini in their daughters, and daughters saw Mahsa Amini in their mothers. What happened to Mahsa Amini could have easily happened to anyone. And that is what broke the nation.
Moving forward to the last question of the puzzle, why are women cutting their hair? As a show of support? To be honest, I think each person’s answer to that is individualized, but to me, it’s because of the symbolic representation of hair. Long, beautiful hair has been a strong symbol of femininity and womanhood for who knows how long, so cutting that symbol that mainly belongs to females, is saying “Look, we are more than just women, we are also humans too, and our gender or femininity does not completely define us- does not excuse us from being treated as unvaluable objects.”
Now, let’s try and summarize everything. Iran’s revolution started because of a woman named Mahsa Amini who was killed by the morality police. Her saddening death called out to the entire population, and pushed thousands to start protesting for equal rights for women. For Iran, I hope that these recent events will help evolve and change this country’s policy, and offer their women freedom. And for you, I hope this article helped you understand what is happening in Iran, and maybe provided you with a little more knowledge on the topic.
