Protests against Oppressive Laws in Iran
By Mara DuBois · Cogito XIV ·On September 16th, 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini caused Iran and many other countries around the world to erupt in protests against Iranian government and officials. Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian who allegedly broke an Iranian law by wearing her hijab too loosely. The morality police, a unit responsible for enforcing strict Islamic laws in Iran, arrested Amini, who later died in custody. Fueled by Amini’s unjust death, thousands have taken to the streets in protest of the Iranian regime, whose oppressive laws have frequently targeted the rights of women. These peaceful demonstrators have been met with intense violence and backlash from Iranian officials, and “as of January, at least 522 people, including 70 children, have been killed and several hundred injured, according to the US-based Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency. More than 20,000 people have been detained.” Although the number of participants in mass protests has declined over the past few months, there is still immense anger at the Iranian regime throughout the country. Many Iranians are not willing to be scared into silence, and continue to advocate for their rights, however the number of public demonstrations have decreased because of the fear of the violent government that plagues citizens.
Iranian officials responded to the discontent of Iranian citizens by inciting fear throughout the country. For example, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the protests were “acts of chaos” and added, “there is freedom of expression in Iran…but acts of chaos are unacceptable.” Through public executions, the arrest and interrogation of thousands, and violent retaliation to protests, Iranian officials have suppressed citizens’ rights to voice their beliefs and stand up to an oppressive regime. Because so many protesters of the strictly enforced Islamic laws were arrested, harmed, or killed, a great sense of fear has permeated the country, resulting in decreased numbers of active demonstraters. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and activist said, “This is the tactic of the Islamic Republic: create fear within the society that can help Islamic Republic to survive.” The government is worried that the demonstrations following Amini’s death will spark a larger revolution against the Islamic Republic, causing the regime to use violent crackdowns on protests to dissuade protesters from continuing their movement.
Despite the government’s unjust tactic of weaponizing fear in the face of resistance, there are still many active protesters who will not stay quiet. Ramyar Hassani, spokesperson for the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights said, “Even if on the surface the regime will be able to crack down for a while …this is not going to be over.” While many citizens have stopped protesting amidst the crackdowns, students at schools throughout Iran have noticed the abuse from the government, as their classmates, friends, and family are violently repressed from protesting. There have been “raids on high schools in cities across Iran, where plainclothes militia and intelligence agents interrogated, beat and searched students,” which have inflamed student anger and fueled student protests throughout the country. As a result, there are still protests in the country, particularly among the younger generations in universities and cities.
The Iranian people are refusing to be silent in the face of oppression and violence, and many believe that these demonstrations are different than those in the past, with Hassani saying that Iran has “crossed the threshold of revolution.”This possible “revolution” could be a monumental movement for Iran, potentially marking a change to the oppressive government system of the country.
