On Friday, September 16, the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini (otherwise known as "Zhina" in Kurdish), another victim of Iran's morality police (گشت ارشاد or Guidance Patrol), set off protests in Amini's native Kurdestan, and which have spread across Iran.
Since then, Iranian women have taken to the streets calling for the abolition of the morality police as well as Iran's gender-based dress code, which mandate full bodily covering for women as well as mandatory head dress. The law is enforced under threat of apprehension, violence, torture and-as in Amini's case-death.
These protests are now approaching the end of their first week and are increasingly accompanied by calls for the dissolution of the Islamic Republic itself, which was installed in 1979 after a popular revolution took down the monarchy. The women of Iran have taken the lead in these protests, supported by men and women at home and across the diaspora.
The following is a list of outlets, social accounts actively documenting the situation, as well as petitions, donation pages and background resources as we become aware of them. We endeavour to keep this list as up-to-date as possible while things develop in Iran. In case of additional resources we may have missed or inaccuracies, please let us know at: info@menafilmfestival.com
Social media accounts
- Woman Life Freedom Collective is a rallying center for the global actions in support of protests in Iran.
- Golshifteh Farahani is one of the most successful actors from Iran on the international stage and in her most recent posts helps shed light on the developing situation in English and Farsi.
- Iran's Centre for Human Rights with up-to-date information in English.
- Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights campaigner and vice-president of the Iranian Defenders of Human Rights Center.
- Nazanin Boniadi is an Iranian human rights advocate and ambassador with Amnesty International UK providing coverage and commentary in English.
- Mana Neyestani is a political cartoonist and satirist with work referencing current events and background of the Iranian political climate.
- Middle East Matters, current affairs and activism for Middle Eastern matters currently focused on the events in Iran, in English.
- Campaign for the victimes of Flight PS752 with links to petitions, vetted donation pages and advocacy with the Canadian government for the ongoing fight for human rights in Iran, in English and Farsi.
Local
- womxn.life.liberation.yvr provides information and footage about gatherings and protests in the Vancouver-YVR area.
- Hamed Esmaeilion, father and husband of victims of Flight PS752 attacks and organizer with information of events in Toronto and globally.
- womxn.life.liberation.mtl provides information about gatherings and protests in Montreal and the surrounding area in English.
- mtl_medad provides information about gatherings and protests in Montreal and the surrounding area in Farsi.
News sources
- BBC Persian, The BBC's official Farsi-language service providing sourced videos and coverage on the ground from its London offices.
- Iran Wire English, original journalism and translation of Iranian affairs providing extensive coverage and background reporting in English.
Petitions / Fundraisers
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