Iranian women protest the questionable death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini during a protest in Lausanne, Switzerland, 28 September (local time). ⓒEPA On September 16, in Tehran, Iran, a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini (real name Gina Amini), died after being arrested by moral police for not wearing her hijab (Islamic veil covering her hair) properly. did. This is not buried thanks to eyewitness statements of seeing Amini being beaten by police, doctors who suggested a possible blow-induced skull rupture as the cause of her death, and reports from female journalist Neil Lupa Hamedi who took the risk and informed her. not known to the world. Angry Iranian women took to the streets. Men also joined. Social media amplified protest fever outside Iran. Protests against the Iranian government’s suppression of women’s rights continue every weekend in major European cities. Thousands of people are protesting against the authority to wear the hijab straight, throwing it off and cutting her hair. At the same time, the so-called ‘burqa ban’ is about to be enforced in Switzerland in the middle of Europe. Swiss citizens voted in a referendum in March last year to pass a constitutional amendment banning face coverings in public places, with 51.2 percent in favor. Covering the face is only a vulgar expression, and the purpose is to prevent Muslim women from wearing the niqab (veil that covers the entire face except the eyes) or burqa (veil that covers the whole body with the eyes covered with a mesh). It was nicknamed the burqa ban. Those in favor said it was for women’s rights, while the opposers said it was discrimination reflecting the ‘Islamophobia’ of Swiss society. The bill, which few people expected to pass, is currently under review after several reviews and is on the verge of implementation. The Swiss government announced on October 12 that it will impose a fine of 1,000 Swiss francs (about 1.44 million won) for violations of the law. The fine set during the discussion stage was 10,000 Swiss francs, which was reduced after being criticized for being too excessive. What do those who have experienced both Iranian and Swiss societies think about this gap? On the evening of October 24, I met Mr. Fatehme (33) and her friend Ahmad (34), an Iranian woman living in Zurich, Switzerland, to hear about the current situation in Iran and the Swiss burqa ban. Their names are pseudonyms of their own choosing. Prior to the interview, they asked that their names be pseudonyms and that no pictures were taken. The two were concerned that they had been interviewed criticizing the Iranian government and that they might never be able to return to their homeland if their identities became known. “There are people risking their lives to participate in the protests in Iran,” he said. The conversation between the two was reconstructed into one question and one answer. Please give a brief introduction. Fateme: She is currently studying computer science at a university in Switzerland. It has been a year and a half since she came to Switzerland. Ahmad: I am a student too. He is a physics major. It has been 3 weeks since I came to Switzerland. Three weeks ago, after the death of Mahsa Amini, protests started in Iran. Ahmad: Yes. The Iranian government cut off her internet connection to prevent the spread of protests, making it difficult for her to keep in touch with her friend Fatemme. Two weeks before I came to Switzerland, I couldn’t use messenger or social media, so I only contacted them via email. WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram, etc. have all stopped working. how about now Ahmad: I still can’t connect well. I have been unable to contact my mother in Iran for a week. The government’s blocking of internet connections will only get worse in the future. Iranians are currently using VPNs (virtual private networks) to communicate with difficulty. Fatehme: This isn’t the first time there have been massive anti-government protests in Iran. But this protest is different from the past in that people are making the most of social media. When reporters take photos and post them on social media, they spread quickly and become a driving force for protests. But all the reporters were arrested and the government shut down the internet. What is the status of women in Iran? And how do Iranian men view the current protests? Fatehme: Iranian men are also victims. They too suffer from the same situation as now. Their older sisters, younger sisters, mothers, and girlfriends are directly harmed, so how can you say you don’t know me just because you’re a man? But, to put it bluntly, it is women who always live with the feeling of ‘unsafe’. How does it feel to be ‘not safe’? Padme: When I was in college, there was a moral police reconnaissance station in front of the school gate. Their purpose was to check the clothes of the students entering and leaving 24 hours a day. Both men and women are subject to inspection, but of course, the rules that apply to female students, such as hijabs, are more stringent. If you dress up against the rules, you will be warned at first. Repeated mistakes are subject to ‘law enforcement’. Women have to live under pressure all the time. On October 16th, Elnaz Rekkabi participated in the Sports Climbing Competition held in Seoul without a hijab. ⓒAP Photo Do you know about the Iranian woman El Naz Rekabi, who participated in a sports climbing competition in Seoul not wearing a hijab a while ago? Ahmad: Of course. She said she had forgotten to wear her hijab after she returned to Iran, and she wrote on social media that she now says she is staying safe at home. Ahmad: It is impossible for a person who wears a hijab on a daily basis to forget it. It was not written intentionally. Padme: That’s right. I think she deliberately did not wear a hijab to inform about what is happening in Iran and to express her solidarity with the protesters. Rekkabi is certain that she is being threatened by the government after she has returned to Iran. She said a common tactic used by the Iranian government to put pressure on dissidents is to take the family hostage. I heard that Recabi’s younger brother had been threatened by the government. Iran has been struggling since the failed nuclear negotiations with the US, but now Europe and the US have imposed additional sanctions on Iran. What is the impact of sanctions on Iranian society? Ahmad: Who will suffer when sanctions prevent medicines from circulating in Iran? My mother takes stomach pills, and she looked all over the big city pharmacies, but she couldn’t find them. The US is taking advantage of the Iranian crisis politically. If you really want to help Iranian society, you should deport the children of Iranian rulers living in the US and Canada right now and freeze their accounts. Let me tell you a funny (?) story. Anji Khazali, an aide to the current president of Iran, has led the internet filtering after the protests, whose son now lives in Canada and makes money selling VPNs to Iranians. This situation, in which her mother blocks the Internet and her son makes money by selling blocking bypasses, overlaps with the US policy toward Iran, which both drives Iran into evil and exploits the situation. A ‘burqa ban’ will come into effect soon in Switzerland. What do you think? Ahmad: Laws are not made by the rulers, but by society as a whole. 51% of Swiss voters supported the law. I believe that decisions made by a majority vote should be accepted even if they differ from my opinion. That’s democracy, and that’s what Iran doesn’t have right now. If you do an honest survey in Iran, perhaps more than 90% of people will object to the obligatory hijab. People want to decide for themselves whether to wear a hijab or not. However, it is currently impossible for the people to decide for themselves in Iran. A Swiss-style referendum is unheard of in Iran. Fatehme: There must be a background to the burqa ban. It is said that terrorists cover their faces, and that for the safety of the Swiss people, they must show their faces. I think there is some truth to that statement as well. Swiss have the right to feel comfortable in their country. When the bill was passed a year and a half ago, I interviewed another Muslim woman, who was very critical of the bill. It was her insistence that she should not be forced to wear a veil or not. Ahmad: I understand that view. Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian women had freedom of choice. At the time, the government launched a public campaign against the use of the hijab, contrary to what it is today. It was said that Iran had to take off its hijab if it was to enter the ranks of developed countries. But there was no compulsion. I’m from a small town, and my mother and grandmother always wore hijabs. Because it was consistent with his beliefs. Religion is the heart of self-selection and decision-making. now there is no What does religion mean to you? Ahmad: I grew up in a Muslim family, but Islam is not important to me now. Padme: Even if I have children later, I will not force Islam. Whether you wear a hijab or a burqa, you have to choose and discover the value yourself. You are not wearing a hijab. Is that also a choice? Padme: Yes. I am a devout Muslim, but wearing the hijab is not important to my beliefs. In Iran, it was forced to write because of the rules. Are you talking about the current situation with other Iranians in Switzerland? Padme: I have Iranian friends, but it’s hard to be honest with them. Because it’s not clear how much you can trust each other. I trusted the other person and said something that criticized the government, but that can be reported to the government. These days, there is a gathering of Iranians in Zurich every weekend, and I am uneasy about going there. Ahmad: Iranian footballer Ali Karimi is currently supporting the protests. He criticizes the government on his Instagram with 14 million followers. He will probably never go back to Iran again. Even someone that famous can be killed by the government. So what about ordinary people? Not only anti-government activists and journalists, but also those who took pictures of Mahsa Amini and those who took and shared photos of the protests were arrested. They do not have the right to appoint an attorney. Even the lawyers are being arrested (former Iranian footballer Ali Karimi, who publicly criticizes the Iranian government and supports the protests, is said to be staying in Dubai. Karimi has previously insisted on allowing Iranian women to enter soccer fields). . It is difficult to criticize the government even in foreign countries, but what kind of mindset do those who participate in the protests in Iran have? Padme: Do you know how they feel when they go to the protests? They are leaving because they think it is better to die than to live like this. In a world without freedom, there is no future, so you have nothing to lose, so you go out into the streets. Lastly, would you like to say a word to Korean readers who will read this interview? Fatemme: One woman’s problem is a global problem. When oppression is applied to one woman, it means that oppression can potentially be inflicted on all women and men. Women are half of society, and they are the people who give birth to and raise the other half. This is not just an Iranian problem, nor is it a women’s problem. We should all support each other. I want Koreans to take a deeper interest in Iranian affairs.
ssn-general
Two Iranians talk about hijab and ‘burqa ban’
