As protests continue over the death of 22-year-old Jîna Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was beaten and arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing the compulsory hijab properly, women’s organisations and politicians from several countries announced support for Iranian women, calling for women’s unanimous struggle across the region and on international bodies to impose sanctions on the Iranian regime.
The Community of Women of Kurdistan (KJK) called for a joint struggle and self-defence, while condemning Amini’s death, calling it “the latest example of the Iranian regime’s femicidal practices”.
“In all four parts of Kurdistan, colonialist states want to weaken and intimidate society with a policy of feminicide,” KJK said, suggesting that the murders of women that occur in various forms today are part of a systematic massacre of women.
The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) sent a message of solidarity “from the hell called Afghanistan” to “Iran’s rebellious people”, saying the only way towards freedom for women of both countries was through unity, struggle and standing up to break the chains of the oppressive systems.
A RAWA spokeswoman, only identified as Rawi, told Mezopotamya Agency that the resistance in Iran gave them hope, strength and courage. “The gains in Kurdistan will pave the way for Iran, and the gains in Iran will pave the way for Afghanistan.”
The protests going on in Eastern Kurdistan provinces and the major cities of Iran are also supported by demonstrations organised in Turkey. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) took to the streets in many cities to protest Amini’s death.
On Tuesday, Iranian women living in Turkey held demonstrations in Istanbul and Izmir. They were faced with a hostile police force that threatened to cancel their residency permits. Nearly 20 Iranian women who continued their march despite the police attack were detained.
Iranian women also participated in the Women Strong Together action in front of the Iranian Consulate on Wednesday, shouting, “Amini’s resistance is women’s struggle.”
In a press conference, HDP Spokeswoman Ebru Günay said, “I salute Mahsa Amini and all women in resistance, especially Kurdish women, who made a banner for their resistance out of their hair. Greetings to those who made Jin Jîyan Azadî the freedom slogan of the 21st century.”
Kurdistani Alliance Work Group called on international institutions, especially the United Nations and the European Union, to impose sanctions against the Iranian regime for its “racist, misogynistic and moralistic laws and policies”.
Swedish Social Democrat Party MEP Evin İncir said that condemnations were not enough, and demanded the European Parliament initiate an urgent resolution. “The EU must demand the immediate abolition of all discriminatory laws against the people of Iran and ensure that the perpetrators of Mahsa (Jîna) Amini’s killers are held accountable, including the removal of the vile morality police officers,” the Kurdish-Swedish deputy said.
