The Murder of Masha Amini

For years, women in Iran have been protesting the regime's inhumane treatment and repression of the female populace.  Now, the regime has claimed yet another victim.  Masha Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurd died at the hands of Iran's morality police for allegedly "not wearing her Hijab properly."  At 6pm on September 14, Amini was arrested by Iran's morality police while she was on her way to visit relatives in the capital city of Iran.  Witnesses state that the police were beating as they forced her into their van (though of course the police are denying this).  The police told Amini's family that she would be taken to a local detention center for a "re-education class" for a few hours, and then be released.  However, upon arrival to the detention center, Amini was soon taken to a local hospital, where she spent two days in a coma before she was pronounced dead.  The Iranian authorities claim Amini died of heart failure, but her family is contesting this, stating that Amini had no history of heart problems.  

Many believe that during her arrest and incarceration, that Amini suffered beatings and various tortures, which ultimately resulted in her death.  Sadly, Amini's case is not an uncommon one.  Under Iran's strict Sharia Law, women are required to properly cover their hair and wear long clothing to hide their figures.  Women who fail to do so face fines, arrest, and in some cases, torture.  Thousands of women are now taking to the streets, protesting the regime's repressive nature and removing their hijabs in protest of Amini's death.  Many are demanding that Ayatollah Khamenei speak out against Amini's death the same way that he spoke out against George Floyd's death, feeling that it's hypocritical to call out improper police action in other nations, but not within his own country.  Amini has become the latest victim of the repressive Iranian regime, but many, both outside of Iran and within the nation, are hoping that her tragedy will help galvanize the nation and force the regime to ease their restrictions on women and start affording them basic Civil Rights & Liberties, something that was cruelly stripped away from them after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.  

Ever since Amini's death, many Iranians have taken to the street in protest.  The regime not surprisingly issued a harsh clampdown.  At least nine protestors have been killed, and many more arrested.  Protests against Amini's death have also erupted in other areas of the world, including the United States.  Some are hoping that this tragedy will finally usher in the liberations of the women of Iran.  However, it remains to be seen if this will happen.  Just as it remains to be seen as to whether Western Feminist organizations, such as Code Pink, who only a few years ago visited Iran to express solidarity with this repressive regime, will finally make the decision to stand up and publicly speak out for Amini and all women around the world who suffer under Sharia Law.  

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Just as it remains to be seen if the United Nations, who in what can only be described as an abomination against justice, elected Iran to the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, will choose to speak out and do the only responsible thing possible, and that is kick the Iranian delegation off of this commission until the nation halts their horrific oppression of the women in their country.  

Sources:

Garbrick, Hugh.  "Thousands take to DC's streets to Protest Masha Amini's Death."  WTOP News.  Sept. 25, 2022.  Accessed from https://wtop.com/dc/2022/09/thousands-take-to-dcs-streets-to-protest-mahsa-aminis-death-in-iran/.

"Iran to Join U.N. Women's Rights Commission."  UN Watch.  March 24, 2022.  Accessed from https://unwatch.org/iran-to-join-u-n-womens-rights-commission/.

"Iranian Woman Dies 'After Being Beaten by Morality Police' over Hijab Law."  The Guardian.  Sept. 17, 2022.  Accessed from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/16/iranian-woman-dies-after-being-beaten-by-morality-police-over-hijab-law.

"Iran Women's Death After Morals Police Arrest Sparks Protests." Reuters.  Sept. 16, 2022.  Accessed from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-woman-dies-after-detention-by-morals-police-reports-2022-09-16/.

"Masha Amini: Woman Dies After Arrest by Iran's Morality Police."  AlJazeera.  Sept. 16, 2022.  Accessed from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/16/iranian-woman-dies-after-moral-polices-detention-reports.