Protests in Iran Continue Following the Death of Mahsa Amini Despite an Internet Ban

Following the murder of Mahsa Amini, 22, last week after reportedly being assaulted by Iran’s morality police, hundreds of Iranian women and activists, as well as activists and rights groups from across the world, have taken to social media to protest Iran’s ongoing efforts to regulate women’s bodies. On September 16, converging reports said that Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian lady, died in a coma after being detained and beaten by the Tehran morality police for wearing a “improper hijab.” While Iran’s official media claimed that Amini died of a heart attack at a detention center in Tehran, campaigners have questioned the state’s explanation and suggested that the police who imprisoned the young woman should be held liable for her death.

Amini’s murder sparked a worldwide outpouring of grief, with Iranian women posting video footage of themselves storming the streets in protest of Iran’s draconian Scarf rule, which compels all females above the age of nine to wear a hijab that covers their hair, neck, and shoulders. Some demonstrators have resorted to burning their hijab scarves. The Iranian government said earlier this month that it will soon implement biometrics technology on public transportation to detect any women who do not adhere to the prescribed clothing code.

‘Hair Revolution’ Proposal

Despite the Iranian state’s continued internet closure, hashtags such as #IranProtests2022 #MahsaAmini # #No2Hijab have made news in worldwide media and trended on many social media platforms throughout the last week. On Friday, multiple media sources reported that protests had reached 80 Iranian cities and villages on their seventh day, with 31 protestors Despite the deaths, Iranian human rights activists have urged the populace to continue protesting in the aim of effecting meaningful change. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and activist, called for a “Hair Revolution” on Saturday. Alinejad, the founder of many activist organizations in Iran, tweeted, “Iranian regime assassinated #MahsaAmini for a strand of hair,” asking Iranian women to remove their hijabs and reveal their hair in public. “Let’s create a Hair Revolution,” she continued. Islamic rulers will be brought down by our hair’s killed.

While many activists in Iran and elsewhere have labelled the hijab as an oppressive weapon by linking it to enforced regulations, others have maintained that women should have the choice to choose whether or not to wear the hijab while staying modest. “Forcing hijab on a woman, like not permitting a woman to wear hijab, is not of Islam,” one social media user stated. “While forced modesty is not the answer, being anti-modesty is not either,” they continued.

Global sympathy and condemnation

While Iranian women are spearheading protests on the ground despite the great danger of detention, worldwide social media users have been increasing awareness about the situation in Iran despite an imposed internet restriction that is likely to be lifted soon. “We took action today to improve Internet freedom and the free flow of information for the Iranian people, granting a General License to enable them with broader access to digital communications to oppose the Iranian government’s restrictions,” US State Secretary Anthony Blinken tweeted on Friday. In reaction to Blinken’s comments, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk pledged to activate Star link, his satellite internet service, to give Iranians with internet access. As demonstrations over the murder of a young lady in the custody of the morality police shake the Islamic Republic, Iranian officials claim they will block internet access throughout the country until peace is restored.

Thousands of Iranians have marched to the streets in protest following the murder last week of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was seized in Tehran and transferred to a “re-education center,” allegedly for not properly wearing her headscarf. Protests have taken place in at least 40 locations throughout the country, including the capital Tehran, since Friday, with demonstrators demanding an end to violence and discrimination against women, as well as an end to the compulsory wearing of the hijab. According to Amnesty International, at least 30 people have died, including four children; 35 people have perished, according to official media the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Authorities have also targeted journalists throughout the protests, with at least 17 being arrested, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit that monitors press freedom. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has encouraged everyone to help identify demonstrators, according to Fars News, the country’s semi-official news agency. The IRCG is an elite arm of the Iranian military that was formed in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution.

Internet censorship

As the demonstrations continue, Iranians are facing a third round of “nation-scale” loss of mobile internet access, according to the internet monitoring group Netblocks. Earlier this week, the monitoring organization said that Iran was witnessing the most severe internet restrictions since 2019, with mobile networks mostly shut down and social networks Instagram and WhatsApp prohibited in the nation since demonstrations began.

The UN has requested a probe.

UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed worry on Friday over reports of nonviolent rallies being met with disproportionate force, resulting in scores of fatalities and injuries. “We urge on security personnel to desist from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, and we encourage to everybody to exercise caution in order to avoid further escalation,” Dujarric said during the daily UNTV briefing. The United Nations said it is carefully monitoring the demonstrations in Iran and urged authorities to “respect the right to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and association.”