Why girls are chopping off their hair in Iran

The dying of a 22-year-old Iranian lady within the custody of “morality police” has galvanized girls to take to the streets in protest and undertake distinctive strategies to place a highlight on their repression.

Mahsa Amini died on Friday after falling right into a coma following her arrest in Tehran earlier within the week. Media studies said she suffered a coronary heart assault after being detained by morality police, who discovered fault along with her hijab (headband).

The incident sparked huge outrage on social media and by the weekend, hundreds of Iranian girls staged protest rallies within the capital. Police responded with a brutal crackdown and fired tear gasoline shells to disperse the protesters.

Massive protest in Iran over the custodial dying of twenty-two 12 months previous Mahsa Amini.#Iran #ITVideo #MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/Xq3NaI5mYb

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Videos shared on social media confirmed protesters gathering close to the University of Tehran, elevating slogans like “Woman, Life, Freedom”. Several women were seen doffing their hijabs in a symbolic protest as they cried “death to the tyrant”.

Many women also posted videos on social media of themselves chopping off their hair and setting their hijabs on fire. Watch the video here:

PROTESTS ESCALATE

According to the BBC, eyewitnesses said Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran. Police have denied the allegations, saying Amini had “all of the sudden suffered a coronary heart drawback”. However, her family has claimed the young woman was perfectly healthy.

Social media outcry soon transformed into an on-ground agitation. Protests also broke out at Amini’s funeral in her hometown Saqez in the Kurdistan region. Police repressed the demonstrations in Saqez.

The protests come in the wake of growing reports of repressive acts against women. Those judged not to be complying with Islamic dress code are reportedly barred from entering government offices and banks. Earlier this year, women were prohibited from appearing in advertisements.

CRACKDOWN ON DRESS CODE

Under Iran’s sharia, or Islamic law, women over the age of seven are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes. A July 5 order by President Ebrahim Raisi to enforce the hijab law has resulted in a new list of restrictions on how women can dress. Offenders face public rebuke, fines or arrest.

Ultraconservatives have called for harsh punishment and even lashes for women who disobey the hijab law. On the other hand, activists have urged women to remove veils despite the hardline rulers’ crackdown on “immoral behaviour”.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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