Photo credit: Aljazeera

An Iranian woman named Masha Amini was killed on September 13th, 2022. She was arrested in Tehran, Iran for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. The proper dress code for Iranian women is a headscarf covering all of their hair, save for some strands framing their faces, and loose shirts and pants, both covering the full length of their arms and legs. Amini was then taken into custody by the Morality Police- which enforces women’s dress codes- and died three days later. According to the New York Times, Iran’s security forces claimed Amini died from a heart attack, but her family argues her death was due to injuries inflicted by the police. 

Amini’s death has sparked protests across the country, with women fighting for the right to choose whether to wear hijabs and, if so, how to wear them. They are also fighting for their safety and calling for an end to the “honor killings” and other violence, as stated by NPR. 

Photo credit: CNN

Additionally, Iranians are currently experiencing an internet shutdown, which many believe is to limit protests. Apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp have been severely restricted. Internet shutdowns have occurred in Iran before, notably in 2019, which saw the murder of what could be up to 450 protesters in four days, according to the New York Times. As mentioned in Iran International, some reports say up to 3,000 people were killed in what has come to be known as “bloody November.” Reuters stated, “Iran has often curbed internet access to make it difficult for protesters to post videos on social media to generate support and also to obtain reliable reports on the extent of the unrest.” 

The New York Times wrote, “Security forces have fired on protesters with gunshots and water cannons and beat them with batons.” The current unrest has proven deadly, with 18 protesters killed directly by government forces and 898 injured, as of September 26, according to Hengaw.