Iran: Women’s anger over Hijab law, from election rigging to dictatorship, how anger erupted in Khamenei’s country?

Many movements in Iran did not just become a national issue, but human rights organizations raised it at the global level.

People are on the streets in Iran. She is opposing dictatorship. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sent the army to suppress the public rebellion. Still, the enthusiasm of the protesters has increased. There are reports of several deaths and injuries to a large number of civilians due to clashes with security forces during protests in different cities of the country. In fact, after the conflict with Israel last year, inflation in Iran is at its peak. People are worried. They feel that all this is happening because of the dictatorial government in the country.

There is a long history of protests in Iran. The present regime also came only after a big movement. Sometimes voices were raised for democracy and transparent elections and sometimes people took to the streets for women’s freedom and human rights. Today, when slogans like Mullahs have to go are echoing again, it becomes necessary to understand these movements. Let us know how and why Iran’s movements attract the attention of the whole world.

Islamic Revolution and subsequent Iran

After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, religious leadership based governance was established in Iran. Initially this was seen as the end of the Shah’s dictatorship and a victory for the people, but gradually power began to fall into the hands of the religious establishment and the security apparatus. Control over political parties, restrictions on media and freedom of expression, and strict rules on social life, especially women’s dress and public conduct. This environment later became the ground for major mass movements in different periods.

Green Movement: Demand for respect of vote and democracy

In the 2009 presidential election, current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner with an overwhelming majority. Millions of supporters, including opposition candidates Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, called it rigged. Peaceful demonstrations began in many cities including Tehran immediately after the election results. This movement was called Green Movement, because the color of Mousavi’s election campaign was green. Green color was considered a symbol of both Islam and hope. The protesters gave a new identity to the demand for democratic rights by wearing green stripes, ribbons and bands. Transparent scrutiny of election results or re-polling, protection of political freedoms and civil rights, prohibition of arbitrary arrests and recognition of the right to dissent were the main demands of the Green Movement.

The government crushed this movement strictly. They imposed restrictions on the Internet and media and arrested thousands of people, but the Green Movement made it clear in Iranian society that a large number of people want a more open and accountable government.

Economic discontent and scattered protests

Almost a decade after the Green Movement, Iran has seen widespread protests on economic issues several times. Inflation, unemployment and allegations of corruption, deteriorating economy due to international sanctions, cut in government subsidies and sudden increase in fuel prices became the main reasons. The protests that broke out after the petrol price was increased in 2019 became especially violent. Banks, government buildings and posters were targeted in many cities. The ruling establishment shut down the internet and tried to suppress these demonstrations through strict repression. These movements were not as organized and leadership-oriented as the Green Movement, but they showed that the common Iranian people wanted not only political but also economic reforms.

Mahsa Amini Movement: Voice raised against Hijab law

In September 2022, Mahsa (Zheena) Amini, a 22-year-old girl of Kurdish origin, was detained by the morality police for allegedly not fully following the rules of hijab. He died during custody. Officials claimed that the death was due to health reasons, while the family and a large number of people said it was the result of police violence. Amini’s death became a spark of anger in Iran. Within no time, demonstrations started across the country. The main slogan of the movement became women, life, freedom. This slogan reflects the struggle at three levels. Protest against forced restrictions imposed on women, demand for a normal life against state control and violence, desire for both political and personal freedom.

Although it began as a protest against the mandatory hijab law, the movement soon transformed into a demand for broader political and social change. Many women started openly demonstrating their protest by taking off their hijab, cutting their hair and burning their scarves. Widespread support was also seen in universities, schools and workplaces. Messages of solidarity started pouring in from all over the world on social media and Mahsa Amini became a symbol of resistance on a global level. The government also took a tough stance against this movement. There were arrests, internet restrictions, use of force. Despite this, the movement started a deep debate on the role and rights of women in Iranian society.

Now there is an open demand for change in the system

The joint rule of the religious leadership and the Revolutionary Guard has been going on in Iran for decades. An important trend in the new protests that have been emerging in recent years is that people are now not just against any one policy or law, but are questioning the entire system. Slogans like Mullahs must go indicate that a section of the public now wants to change the existing structure of the Islamic Republic. There is deep dissatisfaction over the political role of religious leadership. People are demanding major changes at the constitutional, institutional and policy levels. The strength of these demonstrations is that students, women, middle class, ethnic minorities and sometimes even the working class participate in them. Their demands are interconnected. Political freedom, economic justice, gender equality and individual freedoms.

International reaction and global discussion

These movements in Iran are no longer just a domestic issue. Human rights organizations repeatedly expressed concern over repression and arrests. The Amini movement was debated in the parliaments of many countries and in international forums. In the era of social media, the voices raised from within Iran immediately reached the global level, which gave moral support to the protesters. However, due to geopolitics, energy security and regional equations, big countries often limit themselves to balanced or limited rhetoric. Nevertheless, these movements showed the world that a strong desire for change exists within Iranian society.

Common stream of movements and future direction

The Green Movement, the waves of economic protests and the Amini movement, may all have started from different issues, but there is a deep common thread between them. Demand for accountable and transparent governance, emphasis on individual freedom and civil rights, increasing central role of women and youth. After every movement, the ruling establishment becomes more security focused, but at the same time the society also becomes more politically aware. The new generation is connecting with ideas from around the world through social media and global connectivity. In place of old ideological slogans, the focus is now increasing on rights, respect and quality of life. What will be the path of Iran in the future will depend on many factors. Flexibility of power structure, economic conditions, regional tensions and international pressure. But what is certain is that movements like the Green Movement and the Amini Movement are continuously deepening the roots of democracy, equality and freedom within Iran.

These movements in Iran make us understand that when political repression, economic inequality and social restrictions exist together for a long time in a society, any small spark can lead to a big explosion. Sometimes for the honor of voting, sometimes for the dignity of women, and today the Mullahs will have to go, with openly anti-system slogans the people of Iran are repeatedly telling that the desire for change is alive and strong there.

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