The Death of a Woman in Iran Causes Outrage Throughout the World

On September 13th, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was taken into custody by police forces for apparently “wearing her hijab too loosely.” Iran’s morality police detained her in Tehran, the capital of Iran, with witnesses reporting her being beaten in the police car while being taken to the police station. Three days later, on September 16th, she died in police custody. 

The authorities claimed her death was due to a heart attack, yet her family thought otherwise since she was perfectly healthy on the day of her arrest. They believe that the police had something to do with her sudden death. Although Amini’s father was not given permission to see her dead body, he caught a glimpse of her bruised foot. Reports show that her skull had several fractures, due to heavy blows on the back of her head.

Iranian women have struggled to have equal rights with men for over 150 years. The law in Iran states women must always wear a hijab in public and dress in loose and baggy clothes, due to the common belief that women will attract men and therefore should always remember to cover themselves up.

Amini’s death soon became well-known, with people protesting from all around the world. In fact, these protests have been the largest displays of defiance against the Islamic Republic’s rule in many years. In many cities such as Los Angeles, Washington D.C, Istanbul, etc., many women were seen ripping off their hijabs and burning them, as well as cutting off their hair and chanting “Women, life, freedom,” “Mullahs get lost,” “We don’t want an Islamic republic,” “Death to the dictator,” (who is Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran) and many more.

The Iranian government has been trying to prevent these protests in violent and inhumane ways. Eyewitness reports and videos have stated/shown that police were shoving protestors, beating them, spraying them with tear gas, and firing shots into the crowd, killing many in the process. A reporter named Niloofar Hamedi gave a report on Amini’s death, along with images from the hospital. Six days after her post, she was arrested and is currently being interrogated in Tehran’s Evin prison. In addition, a sixteen-year-old named Nika Shakarami disappeared during a protest. Not only did the government hide her body, but they also pressured relatives to lie about the cause of her death.

The Iranian government has tried again and again to stop these protests, yet people from all over the world are still working together to help equalize Iran’s women’s rights.