US President Joe Biden Extends Support To Iranian Women Amidst Protests Over Mahsa Amini. We Need More Actions Over Words!
As a woman, while I am used to hearing a lot of harrowing stories about crimes against women, hearing about these incidents always worries me. One of the most worrisome things I have read recently was the beating and death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, over her hijab not covering her hair completely. The news was unbelievably grotesque and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Women in Iran have started protesting this and US president Joe Biden has extended his support.
Women of Iran-Saghez removed their headscarves in protest against the murder of Mahsa Amini 22 Yr old woman by hijab police and chanting:
death to dictator!
Removing hijab is a punishable crime in Iran. We call on women and men around the world to show solidarity. #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/ActEYqOr1Q
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 17, 2022
As eight people were reported dead in violent protests over the death of Mahsa Amini who had been held by Iran’s “morality police” for breaking the Islamic country’s strict dress code, US Vice President Joe Biden extended his support for Iranian women. Biden saluted the protestors while speaking to the United Nations shortly after a speech by Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi. Biden addressed the General Assembly saying that he stands “brave citizens and the brave women of Iran” who are currently protesting and fighting to for their basic rights.
Also Read: Know Why Iranian Women Are Cutting Their Hair, Burning Hijabs Over The Death Of Mahsa Amini
https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1572802357146034176?s=20&t=PnTtwkdGlLqgIPRTIJ255Q
As the protests entered their fifth day and new limitations on social media were put on social media use, Iranian authorities and a Kurdish rights organisation reported an increasing death toll. A video of a woman in the capital cutting her hair in public went viral causing the unrest in Tehran to go up. After seeing this, a number of women on social media began posting videos of themselves cutting off their hair and setting their hijabs ablaze.
Hijab-burning protest in Iran gathers momentum and spreads around the country. Iran witnesses unprecedented defiance. pic.twitter.com/cS7mcZ4txC
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) September 21, 2022
Also Read: Pakistani Women’s Football Team Snatches Historic Win At The SAFF Championship. But Journalist Wants To Question Their ‘Shorts’. Priorities, Janaab!
Millions of Iranian women have protested the law that forces women to wear the headscarf in Iran, therefore Amini’s execution for wearing “unsuitable attire” sparked fierce outrage. After the 1979 revolution, Iran’s sharia (Islamic) legislation was implemented, and women have been required to cover their hair and wear long loosely fitting clothing to hide their bodies. Violations can result in penalties, arrest, or public reprimand. That and other prohibitions are enforced by the “morality police”, which has been under fire recently, particularly for the manner in which they treat women in Iran.
Girls in Iran Burn their Hijab publicly in protest against Murderer Regime of Radicals Forcing #Hijab on them.Girls shout BIG NO to Forced Hijab in Widespread Anti-Hijab protest after Morality Police Monsters killed #MahsaAmini in #Iran . Girls spark revolution against oppression pic.twitter.com/IBg0BiUmLm
— Jyot Jeet (@activistjyot) September 20, 2022
While the support from Joe Biden is great and we need more people (especially men) in power to discuss this problem, I am compelled to ask, what does “support” even mean here? Because simply extending support verbally while the women in Iran struggle for their basic rights doesn’t really mean much. We need more world leaders to take action against such atrocities for genuine change to come about.
