Persian Uprising 2022-2023 by Dr. Miad Nakhavali

Dr. Miad Nakhavali

CEO at Middle East Analitika

Although the world has long been interconnected and intertwined, some governments still try to reduce citizens' awareness by restricting access to the Internet. In Iran, internet speed is currently drastically reduced, and applications such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and many other platforms are filtered by the regime. By jamming and using filters, the regime of the Islamic Republic also prevents its citizens from accessing foreign television channels. All these activities have increased significantly in the last three months. Why?

We have witnessed Iranians risking their lives once more in defense of fundamental human rights while protesting against the cruel murder of Mahsa Amini since the start of the movement in Iran a few months ago. Mahsa was imprisoned three months ago for incorrectly donning the headscarf, which is required by law in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and was tortured and killed by the moral police. Bloody protests in Mahsa's name are currently taking place in Iran under the slogan of "Woman, Life, Freedom."

However, these protests are just an excuse for the hidden hatred, after years and years of oppression, which has been imposed on the brave people of this ancient land. Mahsa Amini is the embodiment of the repressed desire of the Iranian people, which has existed since 1979 when the Islamic Revolution completely changed the way of life. The right to freedom of choice, the right to freedom of speech, the right to choose your religion, the way you dress, and even the right to choose the music you listen to are some of those desires, but they are also the reasons why thousands and thousands of Iranians leave their homeland every year.

Before the Islamic Revolution, during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah, Iran was governed by a secular system in which religion did not play a significant role. However, with the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and thanks to the influence of the mullahs in Iran, Shiite Islam soon consolidated its power in controlling political, social, and economic relations. At the beginning of the revolution, no one even thought that the hijab would become compulsory for all women, until the then-leader of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, initiated it. A few years later, in 1983, the hijab became mandatory by law. Since then, until today, Iranians have shown their objection to this issue in numerous protests. Today, wearing the hijab is mandatory in only two countries - Iran and Afghanistan, while in the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia, the hijab is considered a social norm and is not legally binding.

The Islamic Republic, whose mission since its inception was to export Shia Islam to other Muslim countries, was simultaneously seeking its own way in the circumstances of the Cold War. The slogan "No to East, no to West but the Islamic Republic" proves this claim. How loyal the Islamic Republic will remain to this slogan after forty-three years of its rule is another matter, but what has brought this regime into a state of chaos is the religious policy. On the one hand, if the regime gives up on the compulsory hijab, it has given up on Islam, and as a result, it has given up on politics. On the other hand, if the regime refuses to change the laws and does not harmonize Islamic trends with social progress, there will be a serious confrontation with the people. This is the reason the regime is now in a checkmate position!

Although the hijab has been one of the main tools of the Islamic Republic to limit and marginalize Iranian women, the current problem is far beyond this issue, and Iranians, both men, and women have a much greater demand, which is the right to freedom of choice. There are no political parties in Iran, and unions/parties are either closed or their leaders are in prison. The leader in Iran, who is not directly elected by the people, defines the overall strategy of the system and makes the most important decisions for the country. The president, whose qualifications are confirmed by a group of people pre-elected by the leader, can be elected by the "vote" of the people. The role of the president is to implement the general strategies of the leader of the Islamic Republic. In fact, what we are witnessing today is the absence of any social mechanism in a developing country whose people do not know how to express their protest against the regime. 

Iranians are a great nation that has never surrendered to oppression. In just one century, two revolutions took place in Iran - the Constitutional Revolution and the Islamic Revolution, both of which reflect the dynamics of Iranian society. Although no revolution achieves its utopia, the Iranian people have always shown that they will never give up their demands - freedom, and independence.

In Iran, of course, the authorities say that all recent events are controlled by foreigners and that all protests are managed by foreign mercenaries. The power circles in Iran seem to regard the protesters as puppets of the West, who have neither understanding nor political passion. The failure of the regime to understand the reality of the existence of problems in Iran and attribute all events in the country to "foreign enemies" is one of the oldest methods of the Islamic Republic to avoid accepting changes. In a country where the representative of God is the leader of the country, and disobedience to the leader is equal to disobedience to God and the punishment for it is death, no opinion, except that of the power circle, is tolerated, and opponents and protesters are easily eliminated.

In order to prove its legitimacy and to ensure that there are no problems in the country, the government brings its fans who "support" them in the city squares. With this, the regime is trying to create division and hatred among people and thus extract the greatest political benefit from the crisis situation. Tactics such as creating imaginary enemies, creating fear, and creating a crisis are also well-known methods of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes that in this way try to change the perspective of the people so that instead of progressing, they agree and accept the existing situation.

While in the country no newspaper or media has the right to really show the social, economic, and political problems of the society, the same media glorify the government and its success. Journalists avoid commenting on the many problems of the people and, like the regime, accuse "foreign enemies" of creating chaos in the country. Currently, many analysts claim that this movement has various aspects, the most important of which is the poor economic situation and economic sanctions by the West that have caused discontent among the people. This analysis appears to be incomplete for two reasons. First of all, the Islamic Republic has suffered sanctions for many years and during this period found various ways to circumvent them. Second, given that it is expanding its economic cooperation with Russia and China, it seems that Iran will solve its economic problems in the coming years. It is true that economic problems are also part of people's dissatisfaction with the regime, but the main problem in Iran has always been despotism, injustice, and the deprivation of individual and social freedoms. 

This is not the first time that the streets of Tehran have witnessed the rise of this brave nation. In many events, the Iranian people have already shown their dissatisfaction with the regime and their readiness for change. Not so long ago, the Iranian Green Movement or the Persian Spring arose after the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, in which protesters demanded the removal of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The protesters claimed that the regime manipulated the election results and again failed to respect the people's right to vote. Although this movement was completely suppressed, and its leaders were placed under house arrest, the fire of the Iranian people's anger against injustice was never extinguished. And now, a little more than a decade later, even more, informed and united people have returned to the streets.

The "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement differs in several important points from other movements that have taken place since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution until now. First of all, this movement was initiated by women, and men supported them in this. From the revolution until today, Iranian history has not seen a similar movement. Then, for the first time, all famous people in Iran, including athletes, actors, and singers, supported this movement. This movement was also supported by many people who play an important role in the economic movements in the market of Tehran. In addition, the young people of the new generation played a very important role in this movement as they were mostly the only ones who took to the streets during these moments of unrest. Also, this protest spread beyond the borders of Iran and took on a global aspect now. The "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement has become a symbol of the fight against injustice, inequality, and discrimination throughout the world. Even in Europe, a continent that has won countless freedoms thanks to science and knowledge, women still experience great prejudice and injustice. 

Therefore, altering the current state of affairs is required for both democratic and non-democratic nations, and in order to do so, we must first change ourselves. We need to change, raise our consciousness, and work together. Additionally, change can only occur in a culture that is forward-thinking and dynamic, as well as in a setting where there is optimism, desire, and initiative.