Iranian newspapers with headlines of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by morality police for not complying with strict dress code in Tehran, Iran on 18 September They say crime doesn’t pay. Tell that to the brutalised denizens of Russia, Myanmar, or of course Iran, a young, educated country, held tragically in the grip of an unholy alliance of Shia Muslim bigots, thugs and criminals.The degeneracy starts at the top, of course.
The hijab is a potent symbol of the medieval restrictions imposed by Iran’s clerical leaders, which govern what people can wear, watch, and live their lives, as they’re forced to watch the state-sanctioned corruption and brutality all around them. This is history repeating itself. In 2009 there were nationwide protests when hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “won” re-election amid widespread allegations of voter fraud. After mass detentions, human rights campaigners said thousands of men and women were raped and tortured.
That same corruption was playing out on the streets of Iranian cities at the weekend as the supporters of the regime, who enjoy the spoils of their loyalty, were bused out to lead noisy counter demonstrations, against those enraged by the death of Mahsa Amini.