TEHRAN: The tragic death of Jina Mahsa Amini sparked the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran, turning the 22-year-old into a symbol of resistance. Many believe energy for change is still bubbling up under the surface.
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Iran is marking two years since Jina Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the regime’s morality police. Anger over the 22-year-old’s death escalated into widespread anti-government protests across the country and eventually into the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.
Thousands of Iranians around the world also took to the streets in solidarity with the protesters and called for an end to the repression in Iran.
But despite the protesters’ efforts, the movement ended with the Iranian regime brutally suppressing the marches and targeting activists inside the country.
At least 500 people were killed and over 20,000 were arrested during the crackdown, according to human rights groups.
Hopes of Iran’s Gen Z fighting for freedom
While the theocratic regime managed to hold on to power in Iran, the death of Amini is seen as a turning point for the country and its society. The most notable shift is the growing reluctance of many women, particularly younger women living in cities, to wear the hijab.
Defying the pressures and threats from security forces and the morality police, these women have been resisting the hijab mandate — the same one that was used to arrest Amini — and challenging the authorities’ efforts to enforce it.
Iranian journalist Hedieh Kimiaee said this development shows “the anger Iranian women have carried for years, and the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini has brought it to the streets.”
“Their fight against the compulsory hijab continues,” she told DW. “Generation Z will take this struggle even more seriously, as this outraged generation sees its freedom in the overthrow of the Republic and is determined to achieve it.”
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Is Iran on verge of new protests?
After Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May this year, the relatively liberal Masoud Pezeshkian was elected to replace him.
But the election did not signal an end to political repression — around 100 people were executed in August alone and at least six political prisoners sentenced to death. Economic problems, particularly high inflation and unemployment, remain unresolved.
According to many analysts, these conditions could likely trigger a new round of protests against the Iranian regime.
Kimiaee says that “the crimes of the Iranian Republic against the people of Iran continue unabated” and “any future intolerable event could once again bring the Iranian people to rise up.”
Old leaders still in charge
At present, however, the regime appears to be firmly in control. Many attribute its survival to repression and expansion of its security apparatus, while others point to disunity among opposition groups.
Iranian lawyer and member of the International Bar Association Saeed Dehghan points out that the current Republic has had four decades of experience in suppressing protests, creating divisions among opposition groups, and relying on political, security and military support from countries like China and Russia.
“Seventeen security and military institutions, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), contribute to stabilising their position by exerting strict control over society, carrying out widespread arrests, employing physical and psychological violence against protesters, and even resorting to the use of heavy weapons to suppress dissent,” added Dehghan.
Jina Mahsa Amini as enduring symbol
The fate of Amini still serves to illuminate the fault lines in Iranian society.
Recently, a supporter of Iran’s clerical regime insulted Amini on state television. His remarks sparked widespread outrage, especially on social media, forcing both him and the programme’s producer to apologise.
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Due to public pressure, the expert was dismissed from his university position. The recent presidential election also saw many boycott the vote and use social media to bring focus to the victims of the recent government crackdown.
For Saeed Dehghan, Amini has become a symbol for all women who have fought for their rights and freedoms throughout Iran’s contemporary history, defying threats of repression or even death.