“I could die like Amini.” When I asked about the recent protests, an Iranian woman in her 20s spoke with a trembling voice. Why are the people of Iran burning hijabs in the streets in 2022, and not voicing their anger in front of gunshots? The protests, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish minority in Iran, who died suspiciously after being arrested by religious police for not wearing the hijab properly, the protests are spreading not only in Iran, but also in Korea and around the world. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, this is the biggest protest that covers all peoples and classes, from the young and the old, the Kurds, Burger market traders and upper classes in big cities.
A woman cuts her hair as protests against the death of Mahsa Amini take place in Kamisili city in north east Syria on the 26th. Reuters Yonhap News
Conflicts over Islamic dress and hijab for women are common in Iran. Every time they go out on the street, women have their clothes checked, and being caught by the moral police and being disciplined is something that grown women have experienced at least once. It has become a reality that any Iranian woman, who had been a symbol of a political ideology that has been going on for 40 years, can become a victim like ‘Amini’.
An activist protesting the death of Mahsa Amini cuts her hair outside the New York Times building in Manhattan, New York, on the 27th (local time). AFP Yonhap News
The anger among Iranians living in Iran and abroad is not only about the death of a woman. Due to the failure of the nuclear talks, they were isolated from the international economic market for years, and suffering from high unemployment and murderous inflation due to COVID-19. The people of Iran have witnessed the deaths of almost 2,000 brothers and sisters in their homeland through the Green Movement in 2009, the plane crash of a Ukrainian airliner in 2020 and a series of protests related to fuel price increases in 2019. Over the years, I had to watch the detention and death of many journalists and people who led the civil rights movement in Iran crying for democracy, freedom and human rights.
An Iranian refugee living in Greece cuts her hair during a protest in memory of Mahsa Amini in central Athens on the 24th. AFP Yonhap News
Protesters protest the death of Mahsa Amini in downtown Tehran, Iran, on the 21st. AP Yonhap News
But in this demonstration, all Iranians take to the streets bravely. Women took off their hijabs, which remained only a symbol of oppression, and marched in front of security forces, while men took part in protests for human rights and freedom. The hashtag ‘#Mahsa Amini’ has been shared on Twitter more than 100 million times, and the legendary football player Ali Karimi does not stop tweeting despite warnings and threats from the authorities. Famous film directors, actors, and athletes who are determined to bear the disadvantages in the future are raising their voices through social media. The death toll, including a 16-year-old boy, continues to rise amid the bitter conflict. 23-year-old Hadith Najafi, who entered the protests with dyed blonde hair tied back, said that this protest would change everything a few years later, and that she could no longer return to her family. Now, precious lives can no longer be left with hashtags alone.
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About 100 Iranians gathered in Teheran-ro, Seoul on September 25th, and said, “Women, human rights, freedom!” The slogan continued, “For the freedom of Iran!” around Gangnam Station for three hours. One of the famous slogans of Iranian protesters, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are together” soon became “Fear, be afraid!” We’re all in this together.” It is time for global solidarity, without borders, to fear those who oppress the freedom and human rights of Iranian citizens.
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Ki-Yeon Koo, Research Professor at Seoul National University Asia Research Center
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