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After several months of protests and unrest, a senior Iranian official claimed Sunday that the government disbanded the morality police and called on their parliament to review the mandatory hijab laws to loosen these laws.

As a Kurdish Muslim, I have been following the revolution that’s been ensuing in Iran since its onset. The murder of 22 year old Kurdish Jîna Amini, commonly known as Mahsa Amini, by the so called morality police caused a wave of protests against the theocratic regime in the country.

I can see right through these false promises and statements that the government officials of Iran are making. These claims of abolishing the morality police by Attorney General Mohammad Javad Montazeri aren’t official, as neither the government or the entity overseeing the police have confirmed or denied the declarations. Leaders of the regime are missing the mark on the demands of the protestors, who are looking to topple the so-called Islamic regime due to years of oppression and censorship.

The regime is only addressing the mandatory hijab laws and the oppressive morality police. The Iranian regime is only making these moves as publicity stunts to quell the protests that have hit the country and made waves internationally. This is only to improve their image to the rest of the world.

While calling out Iran for its oppressive regime that took power after the Iranian Revolution, the historical context of this oppressive regime is relevant. Prior to the Iranian Revolution, the United States installed the Shah of Iran who was ultimately a puppet to the West’s interests.

Due to the West’s meddling in Iran’s domestic matters, including Iran’s efforts to nationalize its oil industry, the U.S. funded coups to overthrow the democratically elected prime minister. Due to the continuous years of Western intervention, Iran saw an extreme shift to the right in the Iranian Revolution.

As a Muslim, I don’t see the Iranian regime’s mandatory hijab laws and oppressive behaviors as Islamic whatsoever. In our religious scriptures, there is no evidence that justifies the imposition of the hijab on women, as Allah has given Muslim women the free will to make the decision. This oppressive behavior and censorship goes directly against Islam and its teachings.

One of the biggest indicators that the regime is un-Islamic is its killings of prisoners and dissidents. In Islam, it is taught that killing one human being is the equivalent of killing humankind.

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As a Kurd, I would like to draw attention to how these government crackdowns on protests in Iran have had a disproportionate effect on the Rojhelat Kurdistan region with the Kurds and ethnic minority groups like the Balochis and Azeris. These groups have been hit with a deadly crackdown by the Iranian regime with bombs, imprisonment and torture. Iran’s bombardment has extended to Bashur, Southern Kurdistan, due to the sheltering of Iranian political dissidents.

The slogan being used during this movement – Woman, Life, Freedom – originated from the Kurdish resistance movement in Turkey who used “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi.” But it has been co-opted by the movement and revolution to “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” without recognizing its Kurdish origins.

Jîna Amini’s Kurdish background is not recognized in this movement and her Kurdish name is not being used in the media or during protests. As the Iranian government does not recognize Kurdish names, the media and protesters are using Amini’s Persian name, Mahsa, which the Iranian government forced onto her.

I saw the news of the disbandment of the morality police and the review of the mandatory hijab laws in Iran for what they were — saving face.

The fight does not stop. We still have a duty to take action until we see tangible change for the women and victims in Iran. Any support given is important, in whatever capacity. Whether it’s joining a local protest or rally in support of those in Iran, sending money to a reliable organization or bringing awareness on your social media platforms or in your day-to-day interactions, we must stand in solidarity with those in Iran.

Shaho Shwani

Published on December 5, 2022 at 12:46 am