#NO2Hijab
Hijab was derived from the Arabic word “hajaba” which means to conceal or hide from view. It is also used to refer to the headscarf that is a part of the Islamic Rules of Modesty “dress code” that defines what modesty is as it relates to Islamic teachings for women. The hijab should be seen as a symbol of power, diversity, and beauty but has become a symbol of oppression rooted in patriarchal systemic societies that treat women like 2nd class citizens in their own countries.
It’s been 17 days since Mahsa Amini was murdered while she was in police custody after being arrested for wearing her hijab “too loosely”. Iranian police claimed she collapsed from a heart attack as she was receiving training on hijab rules . Her family has since denied such accounts of her death stating she never had any medical conditions that would result in a cardiac arrest.
There have been witness accounts of her being beaten by morality police whilst she was in the patrol car going to the detention center. Amini’s father wasn’t allowed to view her body at the hospital but stated he saw her bruised foot. The hospital has reported she was “severely beaten” and after initial examinations, it was medically declared that she had suffered from a stroke and was brain dead at the same time. Reports have stated that her death was caused by a skull fracture caused by heavy blows to the head.
The brutal death suffered by Amini has caused thousands of Iranian women to rise together in anger. The resistance has led Muslim women to burn their hijabs and cut their hair in the streets of Iran as they are met by police enforcement with violence. Many Iranian women are risking their lives to be at the forefront of the protest in an effort to amplify their voices and bring about much-needed change and equality.
As women push forward to fight for equality and freedom, new peaks are being reached and it seems that there are misconceptions about what Iranian women are really fighting for.
Could this all be for a hijab?
Under the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iranian women were free to dress as they wanted. Veiling had been abolished in 1936 after a decree had been made in Iran banning all Islamic veils and many types of traditional clothing. Women that opposed his regime would still wear the veil. In the 70’s, the hijab would once again become the center of political focus. Traditionalists would argue that the hijab was a sign of virtue and that unveiled women were a symbol of Western colonialism that had lost their honor.
Women showed up at the prime minister’s house in Tehran to be heard on International Women’s Day. What was supposed to be a day to celebrate women became one of protest because the day before, Ayatollah Khomeini decreed mandatory veiling for women in the workplace and government offices deeming them “naked” for being unveiled.
100,000 women showed up to protest both veiled and unveiled. They had grown tired of the inequality they suffered that went beyond their articles of clothing. Women were restricted from earning decent wages and barred from becoming judges, removed from educational institutions, and suffered restrictions such as going to the beach or playing sports.
The new mandate came with other changes that gravely affected young girls. The age for marriage was dropped to 9 years of age. With laws made to favor men, very often women are beaten and murdered by their husbands who receive light sentences if they are even convicted at all. Women didn’t even have the option to leave abusive marriages because divorce was a choice that could only be made by husbands. The oppression being experienced on a day-to-day basis has always been deeper than a hijab to Muslim women. An article of clothing should not determine life or death.
During the protest, women were attacked and arrested but continued the resistance. Days later, women began having sit-ins whilst being beaten by men. Public floggings began taking place for women that went to the beach as an act of resistance.
Could it be that all of this was for a hijab?
Mahsa Amini was murdered by the same oppressive patrichiaral forces that have murdered countlessly in the past and continue to do so to uphold this violent reign of cruelty over Iranian women. Since her brutal murder, it’s been reported the Islamic Republic has killed hundreds and imprisoned thousands more. This may be the loudest Iran has been in years but Iran is attempting to drown out the cries by enforcing internet restrictions on media platforms making it impossible for people outside of Iran to reach friends and families in the country.
Whether it be a hijab, a burka, or a nijab women should have the right to choose what they wear as it pertains to religion without fear that it will cost them their lives. It’s important that non-Iranian women amplify our voices because when an Iranian woman suffers we all suffer. Our sister’s plights are our own to fight for and we must stand in solidarity so that they are not silenced.
While the Iranian government continues to create legislation to infringe upon cyber rights, human rights, civil rights, and women’s rights as a global community we must continue to fight to end the violence against and silencing of women in Iran. This is not and has never been about an article of clothing. It has been and will always be about sovereignty, freedom, and equality for all women.
Resources to Support Iranian Women :
Support applications such as the Tar Project’s Snowflake proxy to help users circumvent censorship.
Send letters, emails, and tweets to your representatives demanding support for Iranian women
Attend protests in solidarity and post and repost information related to Iran
#SAYHERNAME : Mahsa Amini, Hadis Najafi, Ghazale Chelavi,Hanane Kia, Mahsa Mogoi, and Minu Majidi are just some of the women that have been violently killed in pursuit of freedom. Say their name and tell their stories.
