What’s going on in Iran? | 6 QUESTIONS 6 ANSWERS

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in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on September 13. Mahsa Amini The young woman, named , was asked to be taken into custody by the morality police on the grounds that she did not cover up according to the rules. The woman, who refused to be taken to the police station, faced disproportionate violence.

The news that Amini, who was taken into custody by the moral police, died in a coma three days later caused great indignation. After the investigation, it was learned that the young woman died as a result of multiple blows to the head, and the protests began.

SPREAD TO 80 CITIES

There have been reports of more than 40 casualties so far in the protests that spread to more than 80 cities such as Tehran, Kirman, Tabriz, Erdebil, Isfahan, Kazvin, Zincan, Kish, Ilam, Hamadan, Kerec, and Mashhad. There is serious concern that this number will increase in the ongoing actions.

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The main reasons for the lack of healthy information flow are the government’s blocking of communication and social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and slowing down access to the internet in most of the country.

So, how did Iran come to this process?

What's going on in Iran |  6 QUESTIONS 6 ANSWERS

Photos: AP

1) WHAT HAPPENED TO MAHSA AMIN?

Amini was spotted by the morality police at the subway exit on September 13. She did not wear the headscarf properly, and for this reason, she was detained and taken to the “re-education center for women”, she. Although the young woman persistently resisted the police’s detention order, she was forcibly taken to the police station.

Although images of Amini entering the police station voluntarily were served in the Iranian broadcaster, these images did not satisfy anyone, especially her family. When the Amini family demanded that “real” images be delivered to them, street protests broke out almost all over the country.

When the young woman, who was hospitalized due to blows to the head and fell into a coma, lost her struggle for life on September 16, news agencies said that Amini had a heart attack at the police station. Some news channels, on the other hand, claimed that the young woman’s health condition was already bad and that a brain tumor from childhood relapsed and died.

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Iranian President Head of Abrahamordered an official investigation to Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi after Amini fell into a coma. Reformist politician Mahmud Sadiki said they wanted this incident to be clarified immediately.

2) WHEN AND HOW DID THE ACTIONS BEGIN?

When the news of Amini’s death was heard on September 16, hundreds of thousands of Iranians, fed up with the growing pressure and the economic crisis and the gloomy atmosphere created, began to flock to the streets.

In response to the government’s violence to disperse the protesters in Sakkız and Senendec, the demonstrations soon spread throughout the country. Not only the public, but also political parties and prominent activists took action; As of Monday, September 19, a general strike has been declared.

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Supporters of the government soon took to the streets.

In the protests where the violence gradually increased, Norway-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that more than 40 protesters lost their lives, hundreds were injured and dozens were arrested.

State-supported news agency Tasnim, on the other hand, claimed that the demonstrators resorted to violence and announced that police stations and Revolutionary Guard forces were targeted.

What's going on in Iran |  6 QUESTIONS 6 ANSWERS

3) WILL MUSK BREAK THE SOCIAL MEDIA PROHIBITION?

The Iranian government first tried to restrict internet access in the cities of Sakkız and Senendec for a few days in order to prevent photos and videos of the protests from spreading on the internet and reaching the world’s leading news agencies.

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With the spread of the protests across Iran, the government found the solution to cut off the entire country’s internet. After this decision, a surprise statement came from the USA.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that SpaceX’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, may launch Starlink, the satellite internet service, in Iran, in order to ensure internet freedom and free flow of information for Iranians.

On top of that, Elon Musk shared Antony Blinken’s post on Twitter. “We activate Starlink” said and added:

“Starlink is used for peaceful purposes only.”

What's going on in Iran |  6 QUESTIONS 6 ANSWERS

4) WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE ETHICS POLICE?

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After Mahsa Amini’s death, the existence of the moral police in the country came to the fore again.

Established in 2005 during the presidency of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, morality police known as “Geşti İrshad” (Persian Irshad Patrol) detain people who do not wear clothes contrary to the dress code in parks, shopping malls and squares where the population is concentrated, and take them to the police station.

This special unit, which works in almost every city of the country, works with the police. The number of personnel of this special unit, which was established to deter those who do not comply with the dress code, is not known exactly.

Women who promise to dress according to the rules and have a paper signed are released only by being handed over to a man from their family.

What's going on in Iran |  6 QUESTIONS 6 ANSWERS

5) WHAT DIFFERENT PROTESTS FROM THE PREVIOUS?

Iran has been the scene of large protests from past to present.

Among the main reasons for the protests that started after the 1999 student riots, 2009 Iranian Presidential election protests, 2017, 2019 and the last murder of Mahsa Amini, titles such as economic crisis, high cost of living, unemployment, increasing poverty, water crisis, human rights violations and gender discrimination. is counted.

Washington Post, “Are Iran’s hijab protests different from past protest waves?” In his news titled, he emphasized that the actions in Iran in the last 5 years are different from the previous protests.

In the analysis of the newspaper, “The current wave of action differs in some respects while emboldened by old actions. First of all, women are leading this action and they are acting creatively against the regime.” comment was included.

What's going on in Iran |  6 QUESTIONS 6 ANSWERS

6) WHAT DID THE IRAN WOMEN’S MOVEMENT ACHIEVE?

Iranian women have been protesting for many years the current laws based on gender inequality in the country and the impositions that limit the right to life. For the first time, women carried out a wide campaign on social media in 2014.

In 2014, dissident journalist Masih Alinejad started on Facebook to protest the obligation to cover. My Stealthy Freedom She lit the fuse by sharing a photo of her driving without a headscarf in the (My Secret Freedom) movement on her social media account. The act of individual disobedience soon became a widespread protest by Iranian women.

Pious women also supported the protests, emphasizing that it was their choice for women to wear a headscarf. According to conservative women, women who did not want to wear a headscarf should also have a choice in this matter. This release made a huge splash.

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