Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Iranwire – In a powerful display of support for the women-led protest movement in Iran, hundreds of “art performance protesters” are expected to rally in central London on September 13 while holding posters depicting Mahsa Amini.
The participants will be wearing white clothes in solidarity with the victims of the Islamic Republic’s bloody crackdown on the months-long nationwide protests that swept Iran last year following Amini’s death while in police custody.
“We are doing this to support women’s struggle for equality, rights and self-determination” in Iran, Ellie Borhan, the organizer of the event told IranWire.
“The international community has acknowledged the remarkable bravery of the girls and women in Iran who are facing severe oppression, which has led to the deaths of unarmed protestors,” she said. “Many in custody have been tortured and raped, and yet the brave girls have stood defiant to this day.”
The 22-year-old Amini was arrested by the Morality Police on September 13 in Tehran for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s mandatory headscarf rules. She died three days later, sparking anti-establishment protests demanding fundamental economic, social and political changes.
To mark the first anniversary of the tragedy, the informal group Stage of Freedom and the public art organization Paint the Change are calling on the public to send their drawings, paintings or digital art featuring a portrait of the young woman to [email protected].
The deadline for sending the artworks is the end of August.
Fifty submissions will be selected for the printed posters, which will then be installed at a “prominent London location and in different parts of the world,” according to the organizers.
IranWire is the media sponsor for the event.
The Iranian authorities have unleashed a brutal clampdown on the months-long demonstrations, killing hundreds of people and detaining thousands. Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
“The international community, human rights organisations and women’s rights groups must be more vocal and hold the Islamic Republic accountable for their crimes against humanity,” Borhan said.
“The cold-blooded murderers who killed so many unarmed civilians since the start of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in September 2022, many of whom were minors, this is a crime against humanity,” she added.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, Stage of Freedom staged the “Handmaids’ March” in central London to show solidarity with Iranian women risking their lives to protest gender discrimination and demand more freedoms.
For more than four decades, women in Iran have been subjected to discriminatory treatment regarding employment, education and inheritance, among other things. All women must conceal their hair with a headscarf, or hijabs, while in public and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
