ANKARA - Activist Raşin, who actively participates in the protests in Kermanshah, said, "Women's worst enemy is Islamist governments. These governments prefer to kill women instead of giving them their freedom."

 

Iranian Kurd Jîna Mahsa Amini was tortured to death after being detained by the morality police on grounds that part of her hair was showing in Tehran, where she went to see her family. After Amini's death, people, especially women, took to the streets. Nearly 10 activists were killed in the protests that has been continuing for 6 days, while hundreds of people were injured and abducted by Iranian forces. Kurdish woman activist Raşin, who actively participates in the actions in Kermanshah, the largest city of Rojhilat Kurdistan, and whose name we changed for security reasons, stated that there is great anger in the streets of Kurdistan and Iran.

 

THE MOVEMENT ON THE STREET IS VERY STRONG

 

Explaining the ongoing protests in Kermanshah and the atmosphere of the city to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA), Raşin said: "The most appropriate word to describe the situation of the people of Kurdistan and Iran is anger. The murder of Jîna is a great and terrible tragedy. This situation caused great anger in us. Jîna Amini, an innocent person, a Kurdish woman, was tortured to death by the morality police because part of her hair was showing. The Kurds have always been at the forefront of the protests in Iran. Previously, the Kurds also spearheaded the protests against high prices and poverty. But this time it is very different. There is a lot of anger and the movement in the street is very strong. This anger is first and foremost against the compulsory hijab and the deprivation of the status of Iranian women. There is something different about these protests. The men who did not used to think twice about what women are going through are supporting the demands of the women and they are shoulder to shoulder with the women on the streets. The only goal is to overthrow the Mullah regime."

 

IT TURNED INTO A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT

 

Stating that the women are holding the centre stage of the protests and the struggle, especially the feminists, Raşin said: "Even though it was women who first took to the streets and made the protests visible, the protests have now become a grassroots movement due to police violence."

 

Raşin told that Iranian women are extremely irritated by the presence of the police on the streets and said, "Even women wearing headscarves feel threatened when they see the police. All women in Iran know that the police are responsible for Jîna's death. Despite this, rather than apologizing and admitting their crime, they want us to believe their lies. Women in this country have been oppressed by this male mentality for over 40 years. Police brutality is a part of our daily life. We have been deprived of our most basic rights for over 40 years. The truth is, Islamic governments are the worst enemies of women. These governments prefer to kill women instead of giving them their freedom."

 

Emphasizing that the protests that started after Amini's murder were different from the ones seen in Iran before, Raşin said, "The main demand in the previous protests was to change the conditions. Many people did not demand a change of government in those protests. TThis has chaned now. For the first time, the people are vomitting their venom against this misogynist government and demand a change of regime at the top of their voices and say that  women can never be equal citizens unless there is a regime change."

 

REPROVAL FOR THE SILENCE OF THE WEST

 

Expressing that they were greatly disappointed by the silence of the West, Rashin said: "Emmanuel Macron had a meeting with Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi in France just today. A female journalist named Leslie Stahl made an interview with Reisi and wore a headscarf for this interview. This is an insult to Iranian women. People are being killed every day in Iran right now because of this issue."

 

CALL TO THE WOMEN

 

Addressing the women outside Iran, Raşin said: "Show this injustice to the whole world. Let our voices be heard. This state has been persecuting women under the name of sharia law for 40 years. We are killed in the name of honor. We are deprived of our most basic rights. Jîna's death is a terrible tragedy, but it helped the world to see us. You, our sisters outside of Iran, tell the world about this forgotten voice, this ignored story."

 

MA / Gözde Çağrı Özköse