“Removing hijab is a punishable crime in Iran. We call on women and men around the world to show solidarity,” said activist Masih Alinejad. Source: Twitter.
22-year-old Mahsa Amini has died in hospital after she was allegedly beaten by Iran’s ‘morality police’ for not properly wearing her hijab.
The woman had travelled from Kurdistan to Tehran to visit family when she was arrested for not complying with the countries strict dress code for women.
Witness reports say she was escorted into a police van where she was beaten, however authorities deny this and say she fainted among a group of women who were also being given instruction on the dress code.
Mahsa Amini, 22, is in a coma after being tortured by Iranian authorities.
This would be unacceptable no matter what, but the fact that she was arrested for improper wearing of the hijab makes it even more horrifying.
Please join me in sharing her name and story.#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/FEB6BYfIZO
— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) September 15, 2022
It’s been alleged by her family that police told them Mahsa would be released from custody after a “re-education session”.
Authorities say “there was no physical encounter” between Ms Amini and police with officers saying she died in hospital from a heart attack, despite her family saying she was healthy and had no health concerns.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has ordered an inquiry into her death.
Following news of Ms Amini’s death, protests broke out around Iran calling for justice.
Demonstrators gathered outside Kasra hospital- where Amini died- and were met with force by Iranian police who used pepper spray and shotguns to deter activists.
The large crowd then moved to Saqqez, Kurdistan where Amini’s body was being buried with hundreds of people turning out to pay their respects.
Iranian women removing their hijabs in protest and chanting ‘death to the dictator’ at the funeral of 22yr old woman who was killed after being arrested for breaking the hijab rule. These women are simply inspirational! pic.twitter.com/JereUlsiW8
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) September 17, 2022
Some people could be heard yelling “death to the dictator” and “our shame, our foolish leader” while her aunt said that Zhina (the family’s nickname for Amini) will become a symbol.
“Zhina was martyred. She was martyred for all the young people of this country and has opened the road to freedom for all of us.”
In the protest, women could be seen taking off their hijabs and burning them while shouting anti-government slurs. Women all around the world have also joined in protest with videos on social media showing women cutting their hear and burning their headscarves in dissent.
Iranian women show their anger by cutting their hair and burning their hijab to protest against the killing of #Mahsa_Amini by hijab police.
From the age of 7 if we don’t cover our hair we won’t be able to go to school or get a job. We are fed up with this gender apartheid regime pic.twitter.com/nqNSYL8dUb— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 18, 2022
Iran’s morality police was established in the 70s following the Islamic Revolution.
It’s law that all women, regardless of their beliefs or nationalities wear a hijab that covers their head, hair, and neck but there have been calls and heavy protests in recent times to rid of the law and morality police altogether.
