On September 13, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman visited Tehran, where she was arrested by the Iranian morality police for “improperly” wearing her mandatory hijab. Three days later, she died at the hands of these officials.
Since her death, hundreds of protests have erupted across Iran, gaining traction online. The Iranian government cracked down on protests with continued violence and suppression, shutting down the internet and censoring social media. Yet, a testament to the power of social media in modern politics, hashtags and posts have continued to proliferate online, building international support for Iranian women. Indeed, the Iranian people’s response—particularly the response of Iranian women—has been astounding. Despite persistent violence from the Iranian government, women have kept fighting for their fundamental rights. Knowing the government will meet them with gunfire and tear gas, they still show up every day mourning, chanting, and fighting. Even more encouraging is seeing young men also show up in solidarity with the female protestors.
Support for Iran has even reached as far as Harvard’s campus. On Friday, September 30th, Harvard college students gathered on Widener Steps to demonstrate in support of Iranian and Kurdish women, chanting in recognition of their right to live free from oppression.
Saba Mehrzad ’25, one of the protest’s organizers and co-president of the Harvard College Iranian Association (HCIA), said she was “genuinely surprised that so many Harvard students felt so passionately about women so far away.” The hundreds of students and community members that showed up in support of the movement was striking. It’s clear that the injustice in Iran resonates with people globally.
The conversation over the liberty of women in Islamic society is an important one. Of course, no where does Islam deny women freedom. The Quran states that “there is no compulsion in religion,” explicitly demonstrating that liberty is compatible with Islam. Yet, the role of the morality police directly violates human rights. The morality police is part of the national police force and is tasked with ensuring compliance with Iran’s Islamic values. They have yet to strike a balance between maintaining modesty and suppressing freedom. Their actions do nothing but increase pejorative misconceptions about Islam. The hijab, for instance, is a heavily politicized article when it should be nothing but a symbol of religious freedom. The actions of the morality police go against the principles of religious freedom and simply contribute to providing Islam with a negative reputation.
Despite sympathy for the Iranian women’s cause, the international community is not doing enough to help the Iranian people and end this terrorizing regime. For the United States, it’s clear that their priority with their Iranian foreign policy is to bring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The JCPOA, referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, is a set of negotiations between Iran and the five UN Security Council countries to curtail Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for alleviating some of the economic sanctions in place since the 1979 revolution. They are more concerned about preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon than trying to stop a government that kills its own people.
On October 28th, U.S. envoy to Iran Robert Malley spoke in an event organized by the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative. The primarily Iranian audience was composed of peaceful protestors and fervent voices, eager to empower the movement of “woman, life, freedom.” While the talk remained orderly, it was clear tensions were palpable and emotion resonated with every member in the room. Malley reiterated the United States commitment to a diplomatic strategy in their Iranian foreign policy. But the U.S. is quite disillusioned if they believe diplomacy can win over the current Iranian regime.
So far, their only strategy has been imposing sanctions. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this spring, Iran was the most sanctioned country in the world. Since 1979, the sanctions have sent Iran into recession after recession, burdening Iranians with economic hardships. The restrictions include sanctions on Iranian banks and prohibiting funds from being transferred between the U.S. and Iran. Remittances could be extremely beneficial to Iranians, especially in supporting the current movement. But it is unlikely that the U.S. will ever allow any change to their current policy, out of fear that softening the financial restrictions would be seen as softening towards the regime. What is clear is that the economic hardships Iranians face only adds to their current frustration.
The U.S. is not the only country failing to take action. The entire international community, including the United Nations, has failed to take any concrete action addressing the ongoing human rights violations. What’s shameful as well is the failure of the international journalism community for their lack of coverage of what is happening in Iran and the anger Iranians feel towards the current regime. As the Iranian people are censored and barred from sharing their stories with the rest of the world, press around the world can—and should—do more.
This is not the first time such a horrific act has occurred in Iran. For years, the Islamic Regime has unapologetically suppressed the lives and voices of people who even attempt to speak up for themselves, exiling dissenters to Evin Prison, a notorious detention center in Tehran. It’s thanks to social media that Amini’s story has been shared and the media has given a small ounce of recognition to the events in Iran. It shouldn’t require any more deaths for the world to start holding the Iranian regime accountable.
While the international community may view the current protests inIran as just a wave of dissent, the Iranian community defines the movement as much more: a revolution. Protesters are not just making waves, they are brewing a storm. Iranians are reaching for a glimpse of a possibility for change. It is clear that this movement is enduring and will endure. Perhaps, there is room for optimism.
As an Iranian American, I am heartbroken every day when I see the ceaseless coverage of terror. As an Iranian American, I am enraged that the current regime is still in power. As an Iranian American, I am unequivocally inspired by Iranian women and hopeful that their force is the beginning of a revolution.
Alice Khayami ’25 (alicekhayami@college.harvard.edu) hopes change will come soon in Iran.