Testimonials
Iran: women tell of their determination to continue the fight despite the repression
January 2023, in the streets of Tehran.
AP - Vahid Salemi
Text by: Darya Kianpour Follow
11 mins
For six months, Iranian women have carried the torch of an unprecedented protest movement against the regime of the Islamic Republic in their country.
On the occasion of International Women's Rights Day, RFI collected testimonies from these Iranian women, living in their country, who want to keep the flame of the "woman, life, freedom" revolution burning, despite repression and threats. incessant about their safety.
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“
I'm shivering from the cold, but there's no question of wearing a scarf or a hat to warm me up!
The winter is harsh but I don't want them [the security forces] to think I'm giving in or scared
,” said Haleh, 58.
When the Islamic revolution occurs, Haleh is only 15 years old.
From the beginning, she did not hide her "
aversion
" for the regime and began to act in various opposition groups, participated in rallies, distributed leaflets and campaigned in favor of civil disobedience.
She lives in Tehran and says she never supported the compulsory veil, nor indeed "
the other draconian laws of the Islamic Republic
".
Woe to anyone who reduces this revolt to a simple struggle against the wearing of the veil.
"
Our demands are obviously not limited to the demand for the freedom to dress as we want and go far beyond this simple aspiration
", insists Morvarid, 27, who, for lack of resources, still lives with his family. parents.
“
As the veil is the main tool of the Islamic regime to repress women, it has become for them the main symbol of their struggle.
And so from the start of the disputes, the women decided to remove it, to reject it, to burn it,
” Haleh points out.
“
Iranian women are aware of their rights, know what has been stolen from them and fight to regain them.
Even if power represses in different ways, women resist and, from my point of view, this is very important.
says Atena Daemi, human rights activist, especially children's rights.
At 34, Atena has already spent 5 years in prison for her advocacy work.
Pooran Nazemi also insists that "
the objective of this movement goes beyond women's dress codes and demands the complete change of the regime
".
It recalls that "
freedom, equality and justice for all are the requirements
of the protesters and they are convinced that they will not be achieved within the framework of the current political system.
This former political prisoner, defender of civil and human rights, co-signed in 2019 the famous open letter called "Call of 14" demanding the resignation of Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, and the change of the political system in Iran.
She is currently awaiting the Revolutionary Court's decision in a new trial.
But that does not prevent him from continuing his fight, speaking out in the media and posting messages and videos on social networks to reaffirm his commitment and demonstrate his determination.
She recalls that "
the isolation of Iran on the international scene
" is only the consequence "
policy and the behavior of its incompetent authorities
", which "
from the beginning imposed themselves on the country with deceit and hypocrisy
".
The population "
is no longer fooled
" and now knows that "
the deplorable situation of the country results from the structure of the current power and not, as the authorities claim, from the fact of the enemies
".
This is an observation shared by the younger generation.
"
Here, apart from the restrictions on women's rights and the absence of freedoms, everything is in decline
," said Hedieh, 27.
“
The economic situation is dire.
In some cities, as during the war, the distribution of gas and electricity is rationed.
There is a shortage of medicine, the number of suicides is very high and increasing, depression is progressing and everyone is convinced that in order to have a simply normal life, the regime of the Islamic Republic must be ended”
.
According to her, "
the population knows full well that those who govern us are incompetent and moreover do not even care about the deterioration of the situation.
".
After a long silence and the sound of a tight throat, she continues: “
What do we have to lose?
Nothing !
What's the point of living if you can't be free and if you don't have a future?
“And to affirm:”
So we are going to the end.
Either we die or we succeed.
The Islamic Republic has always been synonymous with terror.
Women today walk hand in hand.
The fear is gone and the Islamic regime will soon follow it!
»
An explosive climate
Although street demonstrations and rallies seem less frequent, the will and determination of these women are intact and stronger than ever.
“
People are venting their anger and also their despair on social media.
Admittedly, the big demonstrations are for the moment interrupted but all say their intention to resume them at the first opportunity.
In the meantime, we fight differently.
Especially since on the eve of Nowruz, the population, despite everything, is busy preparing for the New Year celebrations and traders are trying to earn a little money,”
says Morvarid, a 27-year-old young woman.
For Hedieh too, the absence of street demonstrations is "
in no way
" the decline of this movement, because the protest continues otherwise while waiting for other rallies and strikes.
“
Life seems to go on in Iran, but everyone is convinced that the current revolt must end.
Even if there are fewer demonstrations, the detestation of the values promoted by the regime is more evident every day.
The number of women who walk in the streets without a veil in Tehran, but also in many provincial towns is growing.
It is, in itself, a permanent act of protest.
And there are also calls for demonstrations and strikes.
»
There are sporadic strikes in several sectors, particularly in education, following the poisoning of students in dozens of schools across the country.
But for some, a general strike blocking the country is necessary to amplify the protest.
“
If there is no general strike, it is because people are hungry!
In 1979, the bazaar and the opponents supported the strikers.
Today, because of the economic situation, financial support is not significant.
», according to Pooran Nazemi.
In certain regions such as Sistan-Baluchistan or Kurdistan, the climate is far more worrying.
These regions are much more militarized and the population under permanent tension.
“
The drop in mass demonstrations in other cities has influenced the way protests are held in Kurdistan
,” regrets Ronak [alias], a resident of Kermanshah.
But the tension is still palpable in this city and in general in Kurdistan: “
It is about the fire under the ashes and any incident can rekindle the fire at any time.
The protests in this region have never died down, because the demands of the Kurdish population are not new.
For decades it has demanded the recognition of its language, its religion, the equitable distribution of national wealth and the benefits of civil rights.
"
I believe that our concerns are summed up in the famous slogan 'woman, life, freedom' which started in Kurdistan, crossed borders and questioned even the most ardent feminists in the world", says Ronak
.
On March 3, in a press release,
Amnesty International
expressed concern about the persecutions and executions against ethnic minorities.
A long struggle from mother to daughter
From
Tâhereh
, the poetess executed in the middle of the 19th century, the first to have removed her veil, to young girls today, Iranian women have not ceased their fight against religious obscurantism.
Upon its establishment, the Islamic Republic abrogated the Family Protection Law, imposed the veil and "
promoted the marriage of girls even at a young age and encouraged the abundance of pregnancies, always with the aim of assigning women at residence.
The compulsory veil was only one of the instruments of power to achieve this overall objective
, ”recalls Atena Daemi.
So, it is difficult to silence these rebellious young girls, these repressed women, these bereaved mothers.
For 44 years, we have lost count of the number of mothers who have lost their children, either in prison or on the streets during the demonstrations.
Since September 2022, the mothers of
Mahsa, Nika, Bahar, Kian
,
and so many others have been continuing the fight for their children.
Before them, it was the
"Mothers of Khavaran"
who saw, in 1988, their children executed and thrown into a mass grave in what has become "the cemetery of the devil" called "Khavarand" located south of Tehran.
They were also the mothers of Neda and her fellow fighters
, in 2009
, and those of the victims of the
repressions in 2019
.
Nahid Shirbisheh - the mother of Pouya Bakhtiari, the 27-year-old protester shot and killed during the 2019 protests - is one of them.
Pouya fell before his eyes.
Pouya's family demanded justice.
The authorities' response was to imprison the victim's mother and father.
“
Despite the loss of her child, Nahid, a teacher, has turned into a fierce fighter against the regime.
Despite the threats, she did not back down.
In July 2022, she was arrested at home and imprisoned in a prison hundreds of miles from her home.
She was deprived of contact and visitation for a long time.
Lately, only her daughter has been able to see her once or twice
,” says Saba Bakthiari, Mrs. Shirbisheh’s sister-in-law.
Pooran Nazemi wishes to pay tribute to "
mothers who have not stopped fighting for 44 years, sometimes in unacceptable and unbearable conditions, to educate children who are aware and capable of revolting against injustice and despotism"
.
These are the mothers who today take part in the struggle of their children and demand justice, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.
In recent times with
the poisoning of schoolgirls
in the country, the suffering and worry of mothers are mixed with great anger.
“
Many believe that the poisoning of students is an act of intimidation and revenge on the part of the authorities.
Because the schoolgirls were also on the front line of the protests by throwing their veils, tearing up the photos of Khomeini and Khamenei
, ”insists Atena Daemi.
For Ronak, “
the absence of an effective reaction from the authorities demonstrates their involvement in this act which must be qualified as terrorist.
What saddens me the most is that this time the children are also targeted by the authorities.
Children who totally ignore our struggles.
This crime cannot go unpunished.
»
►
To read also: Iran: the main protest movements against the regime since 1979
Diaspora and the international community
These women, more than ever determined to achieve their goal, are nevertheless aware of the limits of an isolated struggle.
“
The mobilization abroad is an act of encouragement for us
,” admits Haleh.
“
Here, when we go to demonstrate, we don't know if we can go back home or not.
Those responsible have no humanity and are truly terrifying.
»
Grateful and proud of their compatriots outside the country, they nevertheless express their concern at
the “indifference
” of democratic nations and the international community.
They recognize the efforts and support of civil society in various countries, but regret that the political authorities and especially the international institutions remain mere observers of events.
“
Apart from the solidarity within the country, we need the support of other nations and the international community
,” insists Pooran Nazemi.
"
The current situation is very critical and we need an extra effort.
We stand at a time when all must resolve to move forward quickly.
There is no time to lose
,” warns Pooran Nazemi.
“
The power is currently weakened and is in a failing position.
We must not miss this opportunity, we must be able to deliver the fatal blow.
»
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