In the West, progressive women wear hijab daily as “a show of support.” For women. I’m serious. Pandering to oppression by militant theocratic patriarchs supports women. And while western women can take them off in Iran, that can get you killed.
Related: Chris Pappas and Ann Kuster Look the Other Way When Given a Chance to Support Women and Gays in Iran
The father of an Iranian woman who died in police custody last week has accused authorities of lying about her death, as protests rage nationwide despite the government’s attempt to curb dissent with an internet blackout.
According to a tally by The Associated Press, at least 11 people have been killed since protests began earlier this month after the funeral of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being detained by Iran’s morality police. State media has said the toll could be as high as 35.
Masha was arrested and sent to a reeducation camp where Iran alledges her to have died of complications after a heart attack in their custody. Her family doesn’t buy it, and the death has spurned new calls for revolution, mostly from women.
Amini’s death spurred this latest explosion of outrage. She had been detained Sept. 13 for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of strictures demanding women in public wear the Islamic headscarves. She died three days later in police custody; authorities said she had a heart attack but hadn’t been harmed. Her family has disputed that, leading to the public outcry.
Protests started after her Sept. 17 funeral, and have taken place in more than a dozen cities. The Iranian government has pushed back, clashing with demonstrators and clamping down on internet access.
None of my female (whatever that is) members of congress have a word to say in support of these women in Iran or their oppression by the Mullahs and the morality police. It’s as if it’s not happening.
Related: Iran: Female Cartoon Characters Should Wear Hijab “because of the consequences of not doing so.”
Are these the self-appointed defenders of women and women’s rights? Are they too busy defending men’s right to say they are women to say or do something in support of actual oppression?
Maggie Hassan is currently obsessed with the right to abort pre-born women, so she might be too busy, but Shaheen’s not up for re-election. And both Hassan and Shaheen are Arab/Muslim/Middle Eastern names, so it’s not as if they don’t have some sort of sisterhood of the oppressive hijab thing (by marriage) that they could plug into the PR machine.
But not a word for women who have no choice and who, when they make one, are beaten, detained, or killed by their government.
Non-English voice-over but good images of the protests.
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