Mahsa Amini: Iran's Morality Police And Hijab Law

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, was arrested by Iran's Guidance Patrol on 13 September 2022 for allegedly violating the country's mandatory hijab law. Eyewitnesses claim she was severely beaten by the officers and subsequently collapsed. She was hospitalized and died three days later, on 16 September 2022. Amini's death sparked widespread protests in Iran and around the world, with people demanding an end to the compulsory hijab laws and other forms of discrimination and oppression against women in Iran.

Mahsa Amini's arrest by the Guidance Patrol

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, was arrested by the Guidance Patrol (also known as the "morality police") on 13 September 2022 for allegedly violating Iran's mandatory hijab law.

Amini was visiting Tehran from her hometown of Saqqez, in Kurdistan Province, with her family when she was stopped by the Guidance Patrol. According to eyewitnesses, including women who were detained with her, Amini was pushed into a van and severely beaten by the officers. She was then transferred to the Vozara detention centre in Tehran, where she was supposed to undergo an "educational" class aimed at "reforming" her behaviour.

Amini's brother, who was with her when she was arrested, was told that she would be released after an hour. However, shortly after her arrest, Amini was beaten by the police inside the van. She began to lose vision and fainted. Two hours later, she was taken to Kasra Hospital in Tehran, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit. Amini died in the hospital on 16 September 2022, three days after her arrest.

The cause of Amini's death has been disputed. The Iranian authorities claimed that she suffered a heart attack and brain seizure at the police station and denied that she had been beaten. However, eyewitnesses, including Amini's brother, reported seeing bruises on her body. Leaked medical scans also indicated the possibility of a head injury, and a letter from a top medical official in Hormozgan province stated that her symptoms were consistent with a head injury and resulting bleeding.

Amini's death sparked widespread protests in Iran and around the world against the country's hijab laws and the ruling theocracy. The protests, known as the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, demanded an end to compulsory hijab laws and other forms of discrimination and oppression against women in Iran. During the protests, some female demonstrators removed their hijabs or publicly cut their hair as acts of defiance.

The circumstances of her death

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in hospital in Tehran, Iran, on 16 September 2022, under suspicious circumstances. Amini had travelled to Tehran to visit her brother and was arrested by the Guidance Patrol—Iran's religious morality police—for allegedly wearing her headscarf, or hijab, improperly and for wearing tight trousers.

Eyewitnesses, including women who were detained with Amini, reported that she was severely beaten by the arresting officers and died as a result of police brutality. This was denied by the Iranian authorities, who claimed she had suffered a sudden heart attack. Amini's family also denied that she had any prior health conditions.

Amini was arrested on 13 September 2022 and was beaten by police shortly after her arrest, while in a police van. She began to lose vision and fainted after arriving at the police station. She was then taken to Kasra Hospital, where she fell into a coma. Amini died in the intensive care unit on 16 September, three days after her arrest.

Published hospital pictures show Mahsa Amini bleeding from the ear and with bruises under her eyes. In addition, leaked medical scans of her skull revealed bone fractures, haemorrhaging, and brain edema. Amini's father also noticed bruises on her head and legs when he finally saw her body.

The Iranian government stated that Amini had suffered a heart attack and brain seizure at the police station and later released CCTV footage of her collapsing while speaking with an official. Amini's father dismissed the footage as an "edited version" of events.

The circumstances of Amini's death sparked widespread protests against the Iranian government and its mandatory hijab laws, with demonstrators demanding an end to compulsory hijab rules and other forms of discrimination and oppression against women in Iran.

The Iranian government's response to the protests

The Iranian government's response to the Mahsa Amini protests has been described as ""intense" and "deadly". The government has cracked down on the protests with widespread internet blackouts, nationwide restrictions on social media, tear gas, and gunfire.

The government has also responded with lethal force, with at least 551 people killed as of 15 September 2023, including women and 68 minors. Death certificates confirm that many died from live bullets. The Iranian government has denied responsibility for these deaths and has, in turn, accused foreign states and dissidents abroad of creating the civil unrest.

The government has also arrested and imprisoned thousands of protesters. As of 6 January 2023, 19,262 Iranians across at least 134 cities and towns and 132 universities were arrested. Many of those arrested have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment to obtain false confessions.

The Iranian government has also responded to the protests with a campaign of propaganda and disinformation, attempting to convince traditional supporters that the movement was part of a coordinated campaign to destabilize Iran. The government has also attempted to control the narrative of the protests, playing on nationalist emotion and conspiracy theories.

In addition, the government has intensified its enforcement of the hijab law, with security forces implementing the so-called "Nour" ("Light") plan. This has included a visible increase in security patrols on foot, motorbikes, cars, and police vans in public spaces.

The government has also targeted dissidents and protesters with surveillance and digital censorship. The government has expanded its use of digital and video surveillance to identify and target protesters, and has blocked access to specific internet services and repeatedly shut down the internet and cellphone networks.

The impact of the protests

The death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 sparked civil unrest and protests against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The protests, which spread nationwide, were described as "unlike any the country had seen before" and the "biggest challenge" to the government since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Iranian government responded to the protests with force, implementing internet blackouts, restricting social media usage, and using tear gas and gunfire to disperse demonstrators. The government's response was widely condemned as brutal and disproportionate, with reports of human rights violations, including the use of lethal force, arbitrary arrests, torture, and sexual violence against protesters.

The protests resulted in a high number of casualties, with hundreds of people, including children, killed, and thousands more injured. There were also reports of mass arbitrary arrests, with tens of thousands of people detained during the protests. The Iranian government was accused of covering up the killings and fabricating reports to downplay the extent of the violence.

The protests also had economic implications, with calls for boycotts of businesses tied to the regime and a general strike to put pressure on the government. Additionally, the international community responded to the protests with concern, and several countries imposed sanctions on Iran over human rights violations.

Overall, the protests had a significant impact on Iranian society and politics, challenging the government's power and exposing the widespread dissatisfaction with the country's leadership and policies. The protests also brought international attention to the issues of human rights and women's rights in Iran, leading to further scrutiny and pressure on the Iranian government.

The legacy of the protests

The protests have brought about a cultural paradigm shift, touching every corner of Iranian society, including religious and ethnic minorities, university students, professors, schoolchildren, factory workers, journalists, and artists. The movement has had a transformative impact on patriarchal attitudes in Iran, with a noticeable shift in men's perspectives, especially among the youth. This is reflected in a poll by the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN), which found that almost three-quarters of Iranians opposed mandatory hijab laws, with 84% preferring a secular Iranian state.

The protests have also had a political impact, with the UN accusing Iran of coordinating crimes against humanity and removing the country from the Commission on the Status of Women. Additionally, the protests have resulted in the emergence of a "Bill of Women's Rights", a comprehensive charter encompassing a wide range of women's issues, including political and social participation, education, health, family law, employment, and violence against women.

Despite the Iranian government's crackdown on the protests, the movement for women's rights in Iran remains strong, with Iranians resolute in their pursuit of rights within a new political framework. The legacy of the protests, therefore, is a renewed yearning in Iran for a secular democracy that champions women's rights and a sense of hope for the future of the country.

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