Why the media is failing the women of Iran…

The first death sentence was issued yesterday to a woman for taking part in the protests of discriminatory rules and calling for change to achieve their fundamental rights and freedom. 

The killing of Mahsa Amini while in custody for allegedly “wearing her hijab improperly” has outraged Iranian women and sparked a new round of nationwide protests. The women are then being persecuted for protesting. As a result, there have already been 341 deaths (according to a human rights organisation, HRANA) and 15,800 innocent people detained. 

I spoke with a Christian Iranian woman who shared her story with me. For security reasons she will be named Sara. “I was in an accident and saw a physio who was very nice to me and was a Christian. This made me interested in the faith and I then became a Christian”. Sara then proceeded to tell me about where she would worship and pray. “I would go to a home of a Shephard and his wife with others to praise God”. A Shephard is what we would refer to as a Pastor or Vicar. Sara and her group were then found, however she managed to escape. “I don’t know what happened to the Shephard and his wife, but I heard they died, and I assume they are either in jail or were executed”. A relative helped her get

to Europe, but she is unsure where. “I don’t know where in Europe I was, but I travelled to England and now I am here”. Sara is just one story. Thousands of women are being shamed for simply wanting free will.

It’s understandable that the Media has a lot of issues to cover more now than ever. However, the raw truth needs to be shown. Thousands of innocent women are due to meet death unless some serious action is taken. The foreign secretary James Cleverly said, “Together with our partners, we have sent a clear message to the Iranian regime – the violent crackdown on protests must stop and freedom of expression must be respected,”. This is a well-rounded statement however, movement is required in this extreme case rather than just words. 

So, what can you do to help these women? The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran is raising funds to support their continued work against the gender-based inequities in Iran. United for Iran is an independent nonprofit organisation based in San Francisco, is working for civil liberties in Iran and accepting donations. Or you could simply do something that costs nothing… be welcoming to Iranian Refugees.