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The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, has sparked worldwide outrage. People from all over the world have expressed shock at the “morality police’s brutal treatment” of the woman who was arrested for not donning a hijab in accordance with the rules. From political leaders to popular celebrities, many have been coming out in support of the women who have been protesting on the streets of Iran, seeking justice for Amini. However, the very same celebrities have declined to take a stand on a similar matter in India where a debate is raging.
Priyanka Chopra asks world to raise voice for Mahsa Amini, silent on India’s Hijab row
The Citadel actor headed to her Instagram and stated how women in Iran and other parts of the world are raising their voices for Amini.
“Women in Iran and around the world are standing up and raising their voices, publicly cutting their hair and many other forms of protest for Mahsa Amini, whose young life was taken away so brutally by the Iranian Morality Police for wearing her hijab ‘improperly’. The voices that speak after ages of forced silence, will rightfully burst like a volcano! And they will not and MUST not be stemmed,” Priyanka wrote.
Giving a shoutout to women who have been showing immense ‘courage’ to ‘challenge the patriarchal establishment’, knowing that they are risking their lives, Priyanka went on to state, “It is not easy to risk your life, literally, to challenge the patriarchal establishment and fight for your rights. But, you are courageous women doing this every day regardless of the cost to yourselves.”
The Bajirao Mastani actor further asked everyone to come out in support of the women and join them with their collective voices.
“To ensure that this movement will have a lasting effect, we must hear their call, understand the issues and then join in with our collective voices. We must also get everyone who can influence others to join as well. Numbers matter. Add your voice to this critical movement. Stay informed and be vocal, so these voices can no longer be forced to stay silent. I stand with you. Jin, jiyan , azaadi… Women, life, freedom,” she concluded (sic).
Indian film stars silent on Hijab row in India
It is notable that the Hijab revolution in Iran has come after months-worth of a diametrically opposite protest in India, over a circular of the Karnataka government barring students from wearing religious garb in school classrooms. The cause of a group of Muslim girl students in Udupi to wear headscarves in classrooms was taken up by various groups, which led to a marathon hearing in the Karnataka High Court, even as classroom education in a number of institutions was brought to a standstill. The High Court, in its verdict, ruled that Hijab doesn’t constitute an essential religious practice, and that even if it was it’d only receive constitutional protection if it did not conflict with constitutional values such as equality and dignity.
The court observed that the government imposing a dress code is a reasonable restriction and does not offend constitutionally protected rights as it is ‘religion-neutral’, ‘universally applicable’ to all students, and, in fact, promotes the principles of secularism. It observed that at qualified public spaces such as schools, freedom may be curtailed to maintain discipline and decorum. This verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court over which another marathon hearing was held where the government side argued the role of groups such as PFI (now banned) in leading the protest and also clarified that the circular only applied in classrooms and that people were free to wear Hijabs even in institute premises. While the Apex Court has reserved its order, the matter has been politicised, and has witnessed the conspicuous absence of celebrity influencers, at the very least, in upholding school uniforms in India, at the cost of pro-Hijab students not entering classrooms.
The Hijab cause in India had been championed by extremists such as the Al Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri (since assassinated). Meanwhile, Mumbai was recently witness to a lone protest by Iran actor Mandana Karimi who stood with a placard in support of the women in Iran who are opposing the Hijab’s imposition. While she received some support from locals there, she has since made her social media account private, meaning a 17-minute video she’d posted with her stand is unavailable for the larger public to see. As per media reports, she’d come under pressure and had also received no support from her industry peers who cited myriad reasons to not take up the cause.
22-year-old Iranian woman allegedly beaten to death in police custody
On September 13, Kurdish-Iranian woman Amini was arrested by the “morality police” in Iran and was allegedly so severely beaten in the police van that she reportedly went into a coma. As per a report by United Nations, Amini collapsed at the detention centre after spending three days in custody, and eventually passed away after being transferred to a hospital. The report also mentioned that she was ‘severely beaten’ by the Iranian authorities during her detention.
Three days later, Amini died from her multiple horrific injuries, which ignited protests and condemnation from Iranian women against her death and the government allegedly responsible for it. In the midst of nationwide demonstrations, many Iranian women have taken to cutting their hair as a political statement against oppression and the requirement that all women wear the hijab, as well as an act of defiance in memory of Amini, who was detained for allegedly breaking the Islamic Republic’s modesty laws.
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