It is difficult to separate the internal assassin from the external one, says Iranian exile in São Paulo
An Iranian exile in São Paulo discusses the impact of Iran's theocracy on decades of violence and resistance, focusing on women's struggles against mandatory veiling and recent protests.
The article reflects on the Iranian regime's repression and how it has fostered a long history of violence and resistance, particularly regarding women's rights. It revisits the 1980 protests against the mandatory hijab that saw many women taking to the streets of Tehran, highlighting their struggles in the face of violence from militia forces in a newly established regime that dismissed their demands as bourgeois. This context emphasizes how the Iranian state has systematically oppressed women while using their rights as a political mechanism.
Furthermore, the author draws attention to the assassination of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish girl whose death sparked widespread protests and international dialogue about the Iranian regime’s cruelty. The article relays not only the personal cost of living under theocratic rule but also the obsession with how current external conflicts, especially with the US and Israel, affect internal dynamics within Iran. The discussion culminates in questioning who can truly be considered an 'assassin'—the internal forces of repression or the external geopolitical players.
As the narrative unfolds, it paints a picture of a society bent on readying itself to fight against its oppressors, both domestic and foreign. The discourse implies a need for international solidarity with Iranian women and a recognition of their struggles, urging a closer examination of violence as it manifests in varying forms from different sides, ultimately advocating for a more nuanced understanding of the sources of violence and repression in Iran.