How Mahsa Amini's Death Sparked Protests in Iran

Maeve McGinn '24
1979 - A revolution is happening in Iran. It establishes the first supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and transitions the country to a theocratic republic. It establishes the Islamic laws that govern the country to this day. It is these laws that will lead to the establishment of morality police-- people who patrol the streets to make sure people are obeying the moral codes set forth by the law--like making sure that the proper hijab is being worn.
2022 - Protests spring up across Iran in the wake of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She was arrested for wearing her hijab improperly. After being in custody, Amini died on September 16th. Her family revealed that she died from an injury to her head; however, Iran’s Forensic Organization states that her death is due to surgery she had as a child for a brain tumor. This is not the message being spread by Iranian people, who believe that her cause of death came at the hands of the morality police who had arrested her.
 
The people of Iran have been protesting her death since October 7th--21 consecutive nights. Despite police force at the protests, they have continued, and the people have not been deterred.
 
The protests call to mind the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the U.S. in 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. Hopefully, the people of Iran succeed in their new revolution 40 years later that was sparked by a young woman who gave them the reason they needed to fight.

    • Women take to the streets (CNBC)

St. Francis High School

2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893