Iranian women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad says – We are both pained and hopeful about the ongoing war and conflict in Iran. I don’t want any innocent citizen to be harmed. The message to the Iranian people is not to leave us alone at the mercy of this wounded and dangerous regime. Complete this task (regime change), otherwise these people will take revenge on unarmed innocent people. This is a moment like the fall of the ‘Berlin Wall’ for Iran. Beating women is included in the DNA of Iran’s ‘Morality Police’. Mandatory hijab is not just a garment, but a symbol of women’s oppression. If we tear down this wall, this fundamentalist regime will end. I am not against hijab, but against ‘forcing’ it. Women should have the right to choose. Iranian women are fearless. I was arrested in 1994 at the age of 18 for distributing anti-government leaflets. Had to leave the country in 2007. In 2014, I started a Facebook page called ‘My Stealthy Freedom’, where Iranian women fearlessly share photos of themselves without hijab and their struggles. 80% of Iranians want change. The Islamic Republic has taken away everything from us, except hope. Out of 299 seats in the Parliament, only 9 are held by women and they too are supporters of the government, not protectors of women. This time the middle class and students are involved in the protests against the regime. The current change gives hope. Not just me, most Iranians are happy. This regime has killed and hanged my people. People in Iran were dancing with joy and visited the graves of loved ones who were killed by the regime. My two sisters, who were blinded by the government, also jumped with joy on the streets. I and millions of women like me neither bowed down nor were afraid. The struggle continues and will continue. Protest from the first day: Iranian activist and artist Fariba Najemi says – Women were free in Iran before the Islamic Revolution. Protests against mandatory hijab had started since 1979. In 2017, a woman registered a protest by waving a white scarf, while in 2022, women took to the streets in ‘Women Life Freedom’. This fight for rights will continue. Before the revolution, Iran’s identity was not decided on the basis of religion. Most people did not identify themselves as Muslims in the first place. The society was open and there was diversity in lifestyle, but after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 47 years ago, Sharia law was imposed on the society. I was very young at that time and was not happy with the rise of fundamentalists, although a section of the society had accepted the new system. Women have been affected the most. There was a time when about 66% of the students in universities were female students, but gradually the opportunities reduced. There were obstacles in employment also. Now, if even a part of a woman’s hair is visible through the scarf placed on her head, she is harassed or taken into custody. Women are stopped, pushed, beaten or forcibly taken away in vans. Organizations like Gasht-e-Irshad patrol the streets and can arrest women for dress code violations. Security guards abuse women while detaining them, with young girls being particularly targeted. The law also imposes restrictions on women’s personal lives. Laws are designed to discourage women from seeking divorce. Women also need their husband’s permission to travel abroad. Now this situation should change.
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दो जांबाज ईरानी महिलाओं ने साझा किया दमन का दौर: न झुकीं, न डरीं; ईरान में अपने हक के लिए महिलाओं की जंग 47 साल से जारी है
