MASUME PARIZAD

Tehran- On September 13, 2022, Jina Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s so-called “morality police” in Tehran for “improperly wearing the hijab”. On September 16, 2022, she died in hospital from the injuries. Women attending the funeral of Jina Mahsa Amini chanted the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Women, Life, Freedom)” slogan, starting an uprising that spread across Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan (Eastern Kurdistan or Iranian Kurdistan). The uprising led by women echoed all over the world. As the second anniversary of the uprising is approaching, NuJINHA spoke to some women in Tehran about the uprising.

‘Women keep resisting’

“We will never return to the pre-revolutionary uprising,” said Samane Afroz, a human rights defender in Tehran, stressing that what happened in 2022 was the beginning of a never-ending revolutionary uprising to get rid of oppression and violence against women. “Even though the government escalates its repression and the women's revolutionary uprising seems to have ended, everyone should know that women and girls keep resisting despite restrictions and oppression. The presence of unveiled women in public spaces is one of the gains achieved by women. Women demanding freedom refuse the compulsory hijab laws.”

‘The government uses violence and arrests against protesters’

“The government uses violence and arrests against protesters,” said Bahar Bayati, one of the women who were arrested for participating in street protests in Tehran. “They (Iranian authorities) do not want the voices of civil and political movements to be heard. However, the movements continue their resistance by making their voices heard all around the world on social media platforms. The revolutionary uprising led by women demanding freedom against the compulsory hijab is an uprising aimed at breaking the chains of the totalitarian religious government.”

An unprecedented popular uprising

The “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” revolutionary uprising emerged following the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini, said sociologist Ziba Eskandrian. “It was an unprecedented popular uprising. The uprising based on the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ philosophy revealed the structural weaknesses of the government. This revolution is actually a super revolution that shows the values ​​of the young generation that challenges traditional, religious, patriarchal, discriminatory and authoritarian norms. Although the government escalates its repression, the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ uprising has many political and cultural impacts. We know we will achieve victory.”

‘The revolution continues’

“No one knows what the future of the revolutionary uprising will be or when it will prevail,” said Rozhin Naghdar, another woman in Tehran. “We are on the second anniversary of the revolution and the revolution continues. The ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ revolution paves the way for the next uprisings for freedom.”