A young woman was arrested by Iranian authorities after being pictured eating breakfast in a restaurant without a headscarf.
The picture, which shows Donya Rad consuming breakfast with her friend in a restaurant in Tehran without headscarves, went viral on social media and drew across-the-board attention.
The pair had been protesting the recent death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed in the custody of the Iranian morality police after being arrested for the improper wearing of a hijab.
Mahsa Amini died at the age of 22, three days after she was arrested by the morality police responsible for enforcing stringent Islamic dress code. The police said she died of a heart attack and didn’t suffer any mistreatment, despite experts claiming she was severely beaten.
Her death has already sparked widespread demonstrations throughout Iran, with public figures voicing their rage, including the Iranian national football team, who kept their black tracksuits on during anthems at the international friendly against Senegal.
After Donya’s picture went viral, it was seen by the morality police, who summoned her to explain her actions, but when Donya arrived to explain, she was arrested by police.
Her family haven’t heard from her since, other than a quick call that told them she was being transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison infamously known as the prison that held Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Donya Rad’s sister, Dina, disclosed that they were confronted by police before her sister’s detention.
She said, yesterday after the above image was published, the security agencies contacted her sister, Donya Rad and summoned her to give an explanation. After agreeing to be interrogated, she was arrested, but after a few hours of no news from her, she told her in a brief call that she’d been arrested and had been moved to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. The family are extremely worried about her health and safety.
The decision to arrest Donya Rad signals the unease Iranian authorities are encountering over unrest in the country, with demonstrations following the demise of Ms Amini spiralling into protests against the Iranian regime.
In the two weeks since the death of Ms Amini and the demonstrations that ensued, at least 83 people, including children, have been killed.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 29 journalists have been arrested, including Nilufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, the female journalist that helped to bring Ms Amini’s case to light.
This is truly horrendous. Honestly, for not wearing a flaming scarf. It’s like living in the dark ages, and what a courageous lady she is, but then that’s the Middle East for you, but then I suppose it’s their country, their rules.
However, the fact still remains that fearful and weak men fear strong women.
These are fearless women, and I absolutely applaud all women for standing up for their liberties with such dignity. Their bravery is awe-inspiring and I’m not sure I would have the courage to stand up to this tyrannical regime given the possible consequences, and this is definitely one country I’m so glad not to have been born in, and it just proves that the life we lead is the luck of the draw.
However, control and oppression of women at the hands of men will never cease, particularly when it concerns religion.
Religion is something that is personal to a person, not a stage-implemented form of power, but numerous countries like Iran still consider women as possessions, and the issue here is that in these countries men value their dogs more than they value their women.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 