Iranian Women Don't Need You to Save Them, They Need You to Stop Saving their Murderers
On September 13th, Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, was arrested by Iran’s so-called morality police, the Gasht-e Ershad, for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. She died three days later after slipping into a coma from head injuries sustained while in police custody. The public outcry over her brutal murder has fueled one of the most unprecedented shows of dissent in Iran’s history. With no hope for reform, people from all walks of life have taken to the streets, risking tear gas, bullets, and the baton strikes of the riot police, to demand an end to the Islamic Republic regime, specifying that they want “neither monarchy, nor theocracy” but a secular, free democracy. Those at the forefront are young women, protesting the gender apartheid laws that led to Jina’s death with both real and symbolic acts of defiance, such as removing and burning their headscarves. Men have joined their cause.
A long-simmering anger over decades of brutal oppression has once again reached a boiling point with the tragic murder of Jina. This time, the protests are intersectional and have mobilised the widening spectrum of marginalised groups against a repressive theocratic regime. The Kurdish rallying cry “Jin–Jiyan–Azadî” or “woman, life, freedom” has become the movement's revolutionary manifesto. Rooted in over 40 years of Kurdish women’s struggle against Turkey and ISIS extremism in Iraq and Syria, “Jin–Jiyan–Azadî” was chanted at Jina’s funeral in her home province of Kurdistan before swiftly spreading to the rest of the country. These three powerful words are now championed for rousing a national grass-roots movement for civil liberties across Iran, uniting its many diverse communities by making women’s liberation a priority to the national cause, and providing strategic foresight despite no formal leadership. Indeed, it is this lack of leadership combined with the broad scope of the protests that have made it difficult for the regime to put down the uprising, even though the Kurds and other minority groups, like the Baluchis, continue to bear the brunt of the regime’s violence.
Worldwide demonstrations of solidarity have brought hope to Iranian people and embolden the protestors. Celebrities have cut locks of their hair, world leaders have offered their support, and hundreds of solidarity rallies have taken place, including the October 22nd march in Berlin which drew more than 80,000 people. In NYC, the Iranian community has come to know and love Qween Jean. An American costume designer and the founder of Black Trans Liberation, Qween Jean has been leading weekly local demonstrations for the community for more than two months. She has also been vocal online. “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own,” Audre Lorde has been quoted in many a Instagram postto raise awareness about the Iranian cause.
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Other acts of solidarity, however, have been counterproductive—even harmful. The Iran protests fit a narrative popular among those with misconceptions and prejudices surrounding the hijab. In a recent interview with Franceinfo, Isabelle Adjani called on all women who wear the veil to remove it in solidarity with the women of Iran. Fundamentalists increasingly attempt to justify anti-Muslim discrimination at home by framing the Iranian’s struggle for freedom as “anti-hijab” or “anti-Islam.” Ironically, this is the same narrative that the regime in Iran is pushing to discredit the movement. The point they all miss, however, is that even Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab have joined this revolution. Because the Iranian women’s struggle against the compulsory hijab laws and gender violence is the same struggle for bodily autonomy elsewhere, even impacting those living in so-called “free” countries like the US. In both countries, women’s right to choose, whether it be the veil or safe abortion, is being targeted by the same authoritarianism that is oppressing women and LGBTQIA+ communities everywhere. In this way, the Iranian revolution aligns more closely with liberal and left-leaning individuals who, unfortunately, continue to remain unmoved and silent.
Even among Iranians, demonstrations of solidarity have not been without controversy. The Iranian-born artist Shirin Neshat was one of the firsts to use her art to raise awareness. Large digital screens displayed Neshat’s work in London and Los Angeles last month, featuring a black-and-white photograph from Women of Allah, a series originally created between 1993 and 1997, with an overlaid “Woman, Life, Freedom” text in both English and Farsi. Although hailed by Western audiences, Neshat's gesture of solidarity was not received as favourably by all Iranians. Some have pointed to what they see as cultural stereotypes of the oppressed Muslim woman.
“Why is this image everlasting even if people die to change it in Iran?” a comment on Instagram queried. Other criticisms ranged from “self-promoting” to “commodifying the movement,” resulting in the event announcements quickly being updated to ensure that 100% of print proceeds were to be set aside for donation. More importantly, the poster failed to include any mention of the slogan’s origins, despite the pleas of the Kurdish people. To make matters worse, only the English and Farsi slogans were featured yet again on another banner of Neshat’s work hung outside a Berlin museum one month later. Perhaps some of the criticisms are fueled from resentment over Neshat’s unwavering support for a longtime friend, musician Mohsen Namjoo, who is facing multiple sexual assault allegations. No matter how Neshat’s activism or art are perceived, it is safe to say that the movement has already prompted society to raise new questions regarding the Iranian women's representation and identity.
Discussions continue regarding what it means to fully support women-led protests in Iran. Any political transition or regime change, however, must originate from the people within the country. Given the long history of the West actively meddling and subverting the democratic sovereignty of foreign nations, the international community, and in particular US and British citizens, have a pivotal role in preventing any maligning outside influence of their governments. The Western powers must recognize the Iranian revolution as well as the people’s right to establish a free, secular nation on their own terms.
“For the sake of our intertwined struggles for collective liberation and for the sake of preserving universal freedoms increasingly at risk everywhere, be their voice.”
This can only be accomplished with strict, targeted bans against the regime leaders who continue to hold executive positions in key organisations such as the UN Commission on the Status of Women, an intergovernmental body that advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of women worldwide. Economic sanctions imposed by Western countries have largely deprived ordinary Iranian citizens of basic needs such as life saving medication.
These sanctions have also severely limited any humanitarian donations or transfers of funds to assist Iranians who have joined nationwide strikes. Meanwhile, American-made Tippmann weapons have been widely used by the regime’s armed forces to suppress protesters. The global news media and free press must begin to cover the steady stream of Iranian revolution news, critically and fairly, to counter the regime’s repression of the opposition. Additionally, they must stop providing a platform to regime officials to spread blatant propaganda. “Iranian women don't need you to save them, they need you to stop saving their murderers” is a popular sign at soldiarity marches for good reason.
Despite a deadly crackdown, nationwide demonstrations continue past the 60th-day mark. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, several hundred have been killed, including at least 58 children as young as two years of age. Countless others have been injured. Out of the over 16,000 arrested, many are facing the imminent risk of severe punishments such as imprisonment and execution. Six protesters have been sentenced to death already on the charge of moharebeh or “enmity against God.” The authorities continue to disrupt internet and cell phone service not only to squelch dissent but to hide their crimes against humanity.
Still, the protesters remain undeterred. Their only request is for those who have access to free speech and expression to bring attention to the Iranian crisis. For the sake of our intertwined struggles for collective liberation and for the sake of preserving universal freedoms increasingly at risk everywhere, be their voice.
Words: Falgoush Journal
Falgoush (est. 2020) is an experimental publishing and curatorial project that explores Iranian narratives of identity and belonging. Borrowing its name from a New Year’s Eve ritual of divinatory eavesdropping, Falgoush seeks unconventional cultural modes of perception, expression, and insight to dispel the darkness of remaining unheard and unseen. Critical commentary and discursive aesthetic weave through offbeat, existential explorations of overlooked themes, unexpected collaborations, and counter-archives to occupy the mainstream. Most of all, Falgoush aspires to make shared experiences known, mobilize transdisciplinary connections beyond oppressive borders, and build collectively into a space of togetherness, cultural exchange, solidarity, and community.
