https://arab.news/jz66w
- Iranians take action against compulsory dress code
- Critics say outrage in India is selective as not all feminists previously supported Muslims
NEW DELHI: Indian activists have started to publicly cut their hair in a show of solidarity with Iranian women at the forefront of the biggest anti-government protests since 2009.
Iran鈥檚 anger has grown since mid-September, spreading to all provinces and 80 cities. The women鈥檚 protests were ignited by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who was arrested by Iranian morality police after being accused of not properly wearing her headscarf.
Many women have turned to cutting their hair as an act of defiance in a stance against the rules of the hijab being compulsory. The act has been adopted by others, including women in India.
Geeta Mohan, 鈥淚ndia Today鈥� anchor, cut her hair on air on Saturday and told her audience that Amini鈥檚 death 鈥渉as started a revolution.鈥�
She added: 鈥淲omen suffered even in the developed world, in the east, far east. To all these women I say 鈥榮tand up now.鈥� It is now or never. I today stand up in solidarity with all these women and the fight for freedom.鈥�
Activist and physician Dr. Anupama Bhardwaj, from Noida, made a similar display of support on social media, sharing a video in which she cut her hair while urging others to raise their voices against oppression.
She said: 鈥淪uch incidents in the 21st century are extremely unfortunate. All must come together to vociferously protest against such an atrocious move.鈥�
Ten-year-old environmentalist Licypriya Kangujam, who has been referred to as India鈥檚 Greta Thunberg, held a solo demonstration in front of the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on Saturday. Holding a placard that read 鈥淪tand With the Women of Iran,鈥� she also cut her hair.
She told Arab News: 鈥淚 am very shocked to see the videos on social media of how the schoolchildren and young women are being beaten badly and killed daily by the Iranian regime for holding democratic protests after the death of Mahsa Amini.鈥�
Dozens of protesters have been killed as Iranian authorities intensify their crackdown on demonstrations. Norway-based Iran Human Rights estimates that the death toll is at least 154.
Amnesty International has accused Iranian security forces of killing children after troops fired 鈥渓ive ammunition, metal pellets and tear gas at protesters, bystanders.鈥�
鈥淭his is unacceptable,鈥� Kangujam said. 鈥淭he world must stand in solidarity with those brave Iranian women who are fighting for freedom.鈥�
However, in India, where authorities in the state of Karnataka slapped a hijab ban on Muslim students earlier this year, the demonstrations of support are also drawing criticism.
Sadaf Jafar, a political and social activist, told Arab News: 鈥淚 wonder why these women were silent when Muslim girls were denied their rights to wear the hijab.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any problem with the Indian women standing up with Iranian women,鈥� Jafar said, but added: 鈥淔eminism should be equally applied whether it鈥檚 the question of the rights of women in Iran and India.鈥�
Maimoona Molla, from the All India Democratic Women鈥檚 Association, was also critical of the selective outrage among some Indian female activists, saying the case of 鈥渟ubjecting women agency to coercion鈥� was the case in both Iran and India.
鈥淵ou cannot coerce women into either wearing hijab or not wearing hijab,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat happened in India was a forcible removal of hijab. What is happening in Iran is just the opposite of that.鈥�