Sienna Miller | Writer
December 8, 2022
The morality police are the religious patrollers that enforce the conservative, misogynistic laws of Iran. They have been targeting women who don’t wear their hijab and placing them into custody for simply not being modest enough. In most countries, the hijab is a religious choice, symbolizing faith, but in Iran, it just demonstrates discrimination.
The uprising began when a 22-year-old woman, Masha Amini was arrested by the morality police for not wearing a hijab, and three days later, on September 16th, she died in custody. Protestors strive to abolish unjust laws that treat women like second-class citizens. Although it is important that the Iranian people are speaking, it comes with great risk. (motivationandlove) An estimated 326 Iranian citizens have been killed by the morality police and/or sentenced to death. At least 14,000 have been placed in jail.
“As a woman, I am absolutely horrified about the reality that Iranian women have to face,” sophomore Katie Mckay said. “People need to understand that our opinions and actions, as American citizens can help the women in Iran. We have to spread awareness on social media, donate to human rights organizations, and join the protestors.”
On Thursday, December 1st, the Iranian government was reviewing the mandatory hijab law in light of the protestors. Then, on Saturday, the 3rd of December, the Attorney General of Iran, Mohannad Jafar Mibtazeri, made a statement in which the media jumps to quick conclusions. The Western media claims that he conveyed that the morality police has been shut down. Nevertheless, Mibtazeri’s actual statement was that the “morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary. It was abolished from the same place it was launched.” Not to mention, this statement was not confirmed by the Iranian government.
On the following Sunday, the 4th, the media realized that they made a mistake due to the extreme backlash from Iranian journalists and citizens. All that Mibtazeri said was that the judiciary wasn’t connected to the morality police in the slightest and it is most likely just a PR stunt to stop the protestors. Most believe that this does not mean that the morality police is gone for good, and doesn’t equate to justice for women.
“I heard from all over social media, the news, and simply just gossip, that the morality police are now gone and the women of Iran got their equality,” sophomore Elora Aguliar said. “The fact that a good amount of people might still believe this due to false inferences made is dangerous. We can’t stop fighting for the women of Iran.”
Iranian women are fighting and risking their lives for their freedom to simply gain the title of equal. The morality police may not be entirely over, but neither is the fight for women’s rights in Iran.
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