CRY FREEDOM.net

formerly known as
Womens Liberation Front

MORE INSIGHT MORE LIFE

Welcome to cryfreedom.net, formerly known as.Womens Liberation Front.  A website that hopes to draw and keeps your attention for  both the global 21th. century 3rd. feminist revolution as well as especially for the Zan, Zendagi, Azadi uprising in Iran and the struggles of our sisters in Afghanistan.

This online magazine will be published evey month and started December 2019. Thank you for your time and interest.

Gino d'Artali
indept investigative journalist
radical feminist and activist

 

  

                             

 

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                                                                                                            CRYFREEDOM 2019/2020

CLICK HERE ON HOW TO READ ALL ON THIS PAGE

When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.


JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.

In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendagi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali

And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jhina Mahsa Amini or Zhina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendagi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in 2023:  July 15 -1--June 30 - 15--June 15-1--May 31 -16-- May 15-1--April--
March--Feb--Jan
So here is where the protests continue and I'll continue to inform you about it. That's my pledge.
Gino d'Artali
Indept investigative journalist
CLICK HERE ON HOW TO READ ALL ON THIS PAGE
When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.
Note by Gino d'Artali: The Zan, zendagi, azadi!> (Women, life, freedom)  will only then end when khamenei and his puppets i.e. the morality police, the basijis and the irgc give way or go away!!
And
For all topics below that may hopefully interest you click on the image:

'THE NO-HIJABIS

Updated July 12, 2023

'BIOLOGICAL

TERROR ATTACKS
AGAINST SCHOOLGIRLS'
Updated

'IRANIAN JOURNALISTS
UNDER SIEGE'

Updated July 12, 2023

'BLINDING

AS A WEAPON'
Updated

'THE HANGING SPREE'

Updated July 12, 2023

'TO WEAR OR NOT TO WEAR A HIJAB i.e. TO BE OR NOT TO BE A FREE WOMAN'
JULY 2023:
<<Iranian Woman Handed Harsh Sentence for <No-Hijab Infectious Disease> Disease? It are the mullahs with a non-curable tumor in their heads! Gino d'Artali
and
<<Woman from Kermanshah: Iranian women want to have equal rights with men....
JUNE 2023:
Tribute to
Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi....
and

OPEN SESAME BECAUSE WE (STUDENTS) WILL NOT GIVE IN TO
your demand to to wear the Maghna'eh, a black cloth covering their head, forehead, chin, and chest....
and other oppressive news

<<Defiance Against Mandatory Hijab Grows as Iranian Government Seeks  Stricter Measures....
and more news

July 18 - 3, 2023

June  26 and more, 2023
<<Iranian Woman Handed Harsh Sentence for <No-Hijab Infectious Disease>
and

<<Tehran University Cancels Photo Exhibit over Hijab Rules....
and

<<Students Face Physical Inspections, Threats during Exam Sessions....
and more news



 

UPDATE: June 22 - 15, 2023
Tribute to
Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi

1882 Isfahan, 1961 Tehran

who fought for women's rights endlessly.

<Mahsa Jina Amini> Street Plaques Unveiled in Ottawa....
OPEN SESAME BECAUSE WE (STUDENTS) WILL NOT GIVE IN TO
your demand to to wear the Maghna'eh, a black cloth covering their head, forehead, chin, and chest....
and other oppressive news

and
<<Mandatory Hijab Rules Cost Iranians up to $900 Million Annually....
and more news
 

June 30 - 12, 2023
Note from Gino d'Artali: our sisters in Afghanistan greet us with fist raised fist....
and
<<Iran: Proposed Bill Pushes Denial of Basic Rights to Unveiled Women....
and
<<Nishapur Female Worker Killed in Unsafe Factory Conditions....
and
<<Iranian Actresses Summoned for Hijab Violations
 

9 - 3 June 2023
<<Iran University Students Face Reprisals over Protests, Hijab...
and

Opinion by Gino d'Atali: when you read the below you'll realize that the hunt is open on the 'No-jihabi protesters' but... when pulling them off you may shout out loud and clear: Freedom!
 

June 1, 2023
<Iran's Oppressive Chastity and Hijab Law Strips Women's Rights...
and more news
 

25 - 17 May, 2023
<<A button, a love story, and an Iranian couple who will not be silenced....
and
<<Struan Stevenson: Iranian Women’s Quest for a Free and Democratic Iran....

and more news
Clicking one of the above links will go to May 2023

 
'TO WEAR OR NOT TO WEAR A HIJAB or TO BE OR NOT TO BE A FREE WOMAN'
Unveiled And Unbroken, Woman's Revolution In Iran


Defiance Against Mandatory Hijab Grows as Iranian Government Seeks Stricter Measures


Iranwire - July 12, 2023 - by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<Iranian Woman Handed Harsh Sentence for <No-Hijab Infectious Disease>
A criminal court in Tehran has handed a woman accused of flouting mandatory hijab rules six months in prison and a two-year travel ban, and ordered her to attend six months of counseling sessions for the treatment of her <mental illness.> As an alternative sentence, the court imposed up to 300 hours of community service and mandatory psychotherapy sessions twice a week. A photograph of the court ruling began circulating on social networks on July 10, sparking outrage among Iranians over the increasing number of cases targeting women who defy compulsory veiling laws. In an act of defiance against the ideology and laws of the Islamic Republic, a growing number of women have appeared in public without hijab since nationwide protests erupted in September last year. Some defiant women were arrested, summoned by the authorities and faced legal cases, while hundreds of businesses were shut down for allegedly failing to enforce the Islamic Republic's strict dress codes on their customers. A civil activist in Tehran who has chosen not to wear the hijab in public, tells IranWire that the Iranian judiciary seeks to <humiliate women and undermine their efforts to create social change.> The Second Criminal Court of the Judicial Complex in Tehran said the woman in the latest case was affected by the <no-hijab infectious disease> and accused her of engaging in <sexual promiscuity.> The woman was imposed the travel ban over concerns she could engage in <anti-Iranian> activities during foreign trips. According to the court, flouting compulsory hijab laws is an <anti-social> behavior that constitutes <a contagious mental illness.> It claimed that Western security services <exploit this illness, furthering their anti-Iranian agenda within Iranian society.> A friend of the woman tells IranWire she was tried in absentia: <About a month ago, she received an unexpected SMS instructing her to click on a link to view a court notice related to her alleged hijab violation. After clicking the link, she discovered the text of the court summons, which stated that she was being sued for publicly removing her hijab from her head, and required her to appear in court on a specified date> <She maintained her innocence, explaining that she hadn't committed any crime and that her scarf had simply fallen off while she was walking.> The source adds that her friend, who decided not to attend the hearing, received an SMS five days after the scheduled date for the court session saying she had been sentenced in absentia. <On what grounds do they accuse a person of promoting debauchery and prostitution, of having mental and sexual illnesses, of being antisocial and abnormal, and of seeking public attention?> her friend asked. The woman has 20 days to appeal the ruling, which claimed that she was identified by facial recognition cameras. According to IT experts, the Islamic Republic still lacks such cameras, as well as a comprehensive citizen identity database. IranWire's investigations have shown that the government does not bear the costs of psychotherapy sessions imposed by the judiciary. These sessions are often provided at an exorbitant price by clinics affiliated with or close to the judiciary. <People must shoulder the costs themselves and spend a minimum of 26 million tomans ($520) twice a week for six months,> a person with knowledge of the matter says.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/118423-iranian-woman-handed-harsh-sentence-for-no-hijab-infectious-disease/

Opinion by Gino d'Artali: these Mullahs must really have a and hopefully lethal tumor in their head.


JINHA - Womens News Agency - July 14, 2023 - by JUAN KERAMİ
<<Woman from Kermanshah: Iranian women want to have equal rights with men
Kermanshah- Jina Mahsa Amini, who was hospitalized due to torture in custody by Iran’s so-called <morality police> for not wearing her hijab properly, died in the intensive care unit of Tehran's Kasra Hospital on September 16, 2022. Protests led by women chanting, <Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (English: Women, Life, Freedom)> sparked in Iran and Eastern Kurdistan following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini. However, the Iranian government has been using many methods such as torture, execution and violence to quell the nationwide protests. Despite the oppression of the Iranian government, the people in Iran and Eastern Kurdistan have been holding protests for 10 months.
'Women keep resisting despite all kinds of oppression'
H.G. is a woman from Kermanshah believing that having a free life is one of the most fundamental rights of every individual. <Security forces and some people in society try to oppress women for not wearing hijab. Women keep resisting despite all kinds of oppression.>
'Women want to have equal rights with men'
Noting that as women, they are aware of their rights, she said, <Hijab should be optional not compulsory. A free life is one of the most fundamental rights of every individual. Women certainly want to have equal rights with men to participate in all facets of life.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/woman-from-kermanshah-iranian-women-want-to-have-equal-rights-with-men-33559?page=1

Iranwire - July 13, 2023 - by SINA ENTESARI
<Pressures Are Exerted in Different Ways:> No recess for Protesting University Students
<There's no turning back> - This short sentence was part of a statement issued by students of Tehran's University of Arts after the launch of a sit-in on June 14 protesting the implementation of mandatory hijab rules in the university. In response, university guards and other security forces have threatened, beaten and arrested the protesting students. But in the face of their continued resistance, the methods used to suppress students and professors who support them have changed. Amid a women's civil disobedience movement against the mandatory hijab law, MP Ali Motahari stated in an interview in March that the enforcement of the dress code in the streets should be of secondary importance. However, he insisted that it should be strictly enforced in government offices and universities. Meanwhile, it appeared that the presence of morality police in the streets has diminished, while restrictions within government offices and universities have increased. Starting from mid-June, students at Tehran's University of Arts started receiving text messages from the university's security team saying that wearing a headscarf is mandatory inside the premises. The move led to a sit-in protest at the university but also triggered angry reactions among students in other universities and the general public. A student at Tehran's University of Arts tells IranWire that the authorities appear to have <backed down from enforcing the scarf requirement> for women. <However, pressures are now being exerted on students in different ways,> he adds. <For instance, during the strike initiated by art university students to boycott classes, the university compelled the students to return to the classrooms by evicting them from the dormitory.> <The sensitivities surrounding hijab have even extended to the educational and artistic domains,> the student also says, citing the recent case where authorities at the University of Arts called off a student photography exhibition that would have featured images of women without a headscarf. <Students in clothing and textile design were informed that women's faces should be removed from the designs and that their body's skin should appear in a checkered form in two-dimensional designs. Additionally, the university authorities announced without any explanation that new students would no longer be admitted to the sculpture department. All of these instances can be attributed to the new strictures regarding hijab.>
Another student described the pressure university professors are facing.
Professors who expressed their support for the sit-ins <were prohibited from entering the university, and their collaboration with the institution was terminated.> the student says. <There are also rumors about the potential replacement of certain professors, which is worrisome.> A former professor at the university says that, in the face of <the remarkable and enduring resistance demonstrated by the students of the University of Arts....the system resorted to another form of systematic violence, including withholding grades and removing students' names from exam sessions.>
<Apart from the collective violence inflicted by security forces, these administrative measures subject students to individual acts of violence. As a result, public awareness of these issues is limited.> Regarding the pressures exerted on university professors, the ex-professor explains: <Art university teachers are mainly adjunct instructors, meaning their collaboration with the university is governed by a contract that is typically renewed each semester or sometimes concludes at the end of the term.> <In many cases, the motivation behind these collaborations goes beyond financial considerations. During the recent uprising, when several art professors joined the students' call for a strike, the university did not readily invite them to continue teaching. Instead, they were sacked from the university, and some of them were even summoned by security and law enforcement agencies. As many of these individuals are artists who require government permits to continue their activities outside the university, they face significant pressure.> Also, the ongoing confrontation between the authorities and these specialized professors has led to a decline in the quality of education in various art workshops. The ex-university professor explains why Tehran's University of Arts has emerged as a focal point of protests and student resistance: <In the field of arts, students engage in a substantial amount of practical work, which fosters their familiarity with collaborative work and interaction with their peers. These students have developed a deep understanding of working in groups through repeated practice. Moreover, throughout their lives, they have consistently faced opposition from both within and outside the university, which often failed to acknowledge their creative endeavors.> This experience has <nurtured their ability to form support networks,> the former professor concludes.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/features/118460-pressures-are-exerted-in-different-ways-no-recess-for-protesting-university-students/
 
Iranwire - July 12, 2023
<<Iranian Woman Doctor Sentenced to Cleaning Work for Flouting Hijab Laws
Iranian authorities have banned a resident doctor from working at government medical centers and required her to <serve as a cleaner> after she was caught driving without a hijab, a criminal law professor at Tehran University has said. Professor Ali Khaleghi did not provide details about the case, but |s-|he described punishments imposed on women flouting mandatory headscarf laws as <humiliating.> |S-|He criticized the severe lack of proportionality between the offenses and the punishments levied against perpetrators.In an act of defiance against the ideology and laws of the Islamic Republic, a growing number of women have appeared in public without hijab since nationwide protests erupted in September last year.>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/women/118455-iranian-woman-doctor-sentenced-to-cleaning-work-for-flouting-hijab-laws/
Note by Gino d'Artali: Sorry Iranwire-editor but I needed to correct you here where I made clear she is a She and not a He.

Iranwire - July 6, 2023
<<Tehran University Cancels Photo Exhibit over Hijab Rules
The authorities at Tehran University of Arts have called off a student photography exhibition that would have featured images of women without a mandatory headscarf. Students quoted university security personnel as saying that the artworks would not be displayed unless the pictures showing women's skin and faces were removed. Students have held protests at Tehran University of Arts since June 14 over the university administration and security personnel's insistence that women students abide by the Islamic Republic's strict dress code. On June 17, more than 10 male and female students protesting mandatory headscarf rules outside the campus of the university were forcefully arrested and taken to an undisclosed location>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/118250-tehran-university-cancels-photo-exhibit-over-hijab-rules/

JINHA - Womens News Agency - July 6, 2023
<<Iranian actress Afsaneh Baygan summoned for not wearing hijab
News Center- Afsaneh Baygan, an Iranian actress and an opponent of the mandatory hijab, has announced on her Instagram account that Iran's judiciary has summoned her for <wearing a hat>. <Two months ago, I went to Shahrzad Theater Complex to watch a theater performance. I wore a hat that covered most of my head and only a little of my hair and neck could be seen. Now, I face three to 12 months' imprisonment under article 640 of the Penal Code (This article says that anyone who exhibits or puts for public viewing, films, which offends public decency or morals). This means that if I am seen in public without a hijab, I will be fined according to article 638; if I attend a show wearing a hat, I will be imprisoned for a year???> Criticizing the indictment prepared against her, she wrote, <In the indictment, they write that I deserve more punishment because I am an actress. Years ago, I attended the Fajr International Film Festival by wearing a similar hat and I did not face any imprisonment. But today, wearing a hat is considered a crime.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/iranian-actress-afsaneh-baygan-summoned-for-not-wearing-hijab-33522

Iranwire - July 3, 2023
<<Mandatory Hijab: Iranian Authorities Intensify Pressure on Businesses
In recent days, the Iranian authorities have stepped up their efforts to enforce mandatory headscarf rules, shutting dozens of cafes, restaurants and other commercial and recreational venues that were failing to comply with the Islamic Republic's strict dress code. The Supervisory Department of the Police Headquarters on July 2 released a list of businesses in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas that were sealed for their alleged failure to adhere to <Islamic principles.> The businesses targeted include five cafes and a sports club. Several commercial units within Bandar Abbas Mall suffered a similar fate. In Islamshahr, the second most populous city in Tehran province, the local police commander announced that at least 13 businesses have been sealed. The cities hit in the most recent wave of closures also include Mashhad, Rasht and Tehran. In an act of defiance against the ideology and laws of the Islamic Republic, a growing number of women have appeared in public without hijab since nationwide protests erupted in September last year. Some defiant women were arrested, summoned by the authorities and faced legal cases, while hundreds of small businesses and shopping malls were shut down for allegedly failing to enforce hijab rules on their customers. Taxi drivers have been fined for transporting women without headscarves, while police and volunteers have issued warnings in subways, airports and other public places.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/118140-mandatory-hijab-iranian-authorities-intensify-pressure-on-businesses/

Iranwire - June 26, 2023
<<Students Face Physical Inspections, Threats during Exam Sessions
Security forces have disrupted the end-of-semester exam sessions in Tehran's Allameh Tabatabai University, subjecting the students to invasive physical searches and threatening women who did not strictly abide by compulsory headscarf rules. Iran's Student Union Council said on its Telegram channel that the university's security officers <repeatedly disrupted the order> by taking pictures of students and ordering strict adherence to hijab regulations. The examinees were threatened that their answer sheets would be withheld if they failed to comply, it added. According to testimonies from students, many women were unable to attend the exam sessions on time because they were subjected to intrusive searches under the pretext of physical inspection. The Student Union Council wrote that the security forces searched both male and female students using metal detectors. The students were prevented from entering the exam rooms with metallic objects, including belts. In recent months, the pressure on students has intensified through increased disciplinary measures, punishments imposed by the judicial system and heightened security measures in exam halls and dormitories. This can be attributed, in part, to the students' involvement in last year's nationwide protests. Many of those who participated in rallies have been summoned and subsequently faced severe penalties, including suspension or expulsion from university.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117919-students-face-physical-inspections-threats-during-exam-sessions/

NCRI - Womens committee - in Women's news - June 24, 2023
<<Samin Nessari and Saba Eskandari - Two more female students are deprived of education
Samin Nessari has been suspended for 1.5 years Two female students, Samin Nessari and Saba Eskandari, have been temporarily banned from studying. Samin Nessari, a history undergraduate student at Kharazmi University in Tehran, has been sentenced by the university's disciplinary committee to a one-and-a-half-year suspension from education. Samin Nessari had also lost her previous semester because she was banned from entering the university. Furthermore, Saba Eskandari, a counseling and guidance student at the University of Tehran, has been deprived of education for 2.5 years by the university's preliminary council on charges of not observing compulsory hijab. Universities were at the forefront of the anti-regime protests during the 2022-2023 uprising. Consequently, the regime has stepped up pressure on universities under the pretext of enforcing the compulsory hijab. The confrontations with students have escalated to such an extent that students are promptly summoned and face expulsion or suspension from education if they fail to comply with the compulsory dress code or participate in any protest or gathering. On the other hand, the mullah's regime intends to shut down 82% of universities as part of its repressive measures against students. Mohammad Mehdi Dehghan, one of the officials from the Ministry of Science, stated, <Currently, there are 2,183 higher education institutions in Iran. However, the number is expected to be ultimately reduced to 400 universities. Only 18% of the existing educational centers will continue their activities, while 82% will be closed or merged.> (The state-run Tejaratnews.com, June 21, 2023)>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/24/samin-nessari-and-saba-eskandari/

Iranwire - June 22, 2023
<<Iranian Influential Women: Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi
Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi was born in Isfahan in 1883. Her father, Haj Mirza Hadi Dowlatabadi, was a progressive cleric who allowed his daughters to pursue education. Her mother was Khatemeh Begum. Sadiqeh continued her studies alongside her two brothers, Yahya and Mohammad Ali, who were prominent figures in the Education Association and the constitutionalist movement. Despite the relative freedom enjoyed by the Dowlatabadi family, as there were no schools for girls at the time, Sadiqeh was had no choice but to marry when she was just 15 years old. The marriage quickly ended, though, and Sadiqeh then became one of the most prominent women's rights activists in Iran. From the moment she joined the struggle for women's equality, until her death, the Dowlatabadi tirelessly fought for women's rights. In parallel with the 1905 signing of the constitutional decree in Tehran by Mozaffaruddin Shah Qajar, Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi, who had settled in Tehran after her marriage ended, co-founded the Mokhadderat Association with a group of leading women. The association was led by another woman named Banoagha Begum, whom some believed to be the wife of prominent cleric, Haj Hadi Najmabadi, while others believed she was his daughter. Begum served as the secretary of the board of directors. Initially, this association operated secretly and its members supported the advancement of the constitution alongside men. However, despite efforts of these activists, the drafters of the new Iranian laws did not grant any rights to women. Some members of parliament, who had been elected with the support of women, even opposed allowing girls' education. These circumstances prompted women's associations to take significant action for women's equality. The establishment of the Mokhadderat Association was a response to these challenges. The association focused on building girls' schools, reducing the amounts of dowry payments, supporting domestic production, and assisting in the reopening of the National Bank. Dowlatabadi, along with one or two other women from the association, visited cafes and other places where men gathered to encourage them to for producing and buying domestically. In 1909, when Russia issued an ultimatum to Iran regarding the appointment of financial advisors, including Morgan Schuster, Sadiqeh and other association members held a large meeting in parliament. They symbolically displayed guns concealed beneath their robes and shrouds, conveying the message to the nation's representatives that if they could not govern the country and resist foreign forces, they should step aside and allow others to lead. Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi returned to Isfahan around 1915 and applied to the Ministry of Education to publish the newspaper Zaban Zanan (Women's Language.) Prior to this, she was a member of the Freedom of Women association, which placed greater emphasis on women's rights and challenged prevailing male-dominated traditions of the time compared to other associations. The association also included the daughter of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. In Isfahan, Sediqeh Dowlatabadi, together with Badraldji Rakhshan, a graduate of the American School of Tehran, established the School of Shariat. Although the school was one of the leading institutions of its time, it operated for only three months. A subsequent school, Om-al-Madares, faced a similar fate. Following these experiences, Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi, along with several other women from Isfahan, founded Khatin Isfahan. The focus of this association was to raise awareness about women's rights. Before receiving a response from the Ministry of Education, Dowlatabadi independently published the four-page newspaper Zaban Zanan from her own residence. Three years after the establishment of the Shokofe newspaper, edited by Maryam Omid, Zaban Zanan became the first women's organization to explicitly address women's rights, declaring that it would only accept submissions from girls and women. Zaban Zanan initially highlighted the importance of girls' education and advocated for the establishment of schools for them. It also covered topics related to personal affairs, such as choosing a spouse, marriage, and principles of housekeeping. The newspaper criticized patriarchal and traditional norms in these areas, offering new plans for transformation. Moreover, Zaban Zanan went beyond these issues and voiced criticism of political leaders, protesting against the 1919 <Anglo-Persian> agreement and British influence. These actions led to attacks by religious extremists on the newspaper office and threats against Dowlatabadi and the women working there. However, these threats did not deter them. Eventually, prime minister Tonekaboni wrote a letter to the Isfahan authorities ordering the confiscation of the newspaper. When the head of the Isfahan authorities conveyed this decision to Sediqeh Dowlatabadi, he remarked, <You were born a hundred years early.> In response, Dowlatabadi, while placing the confiscation letter in her bag, confidently replied, <You are mistaken, sir; I was born a hundred years late. Because if that were the case, I would not allow women, who are currently subjugated and weakened, to be prisoners of your men's chains today.> After the ban on Zaban Zanan, Dowlatabadi returned to Tehran and resumed her activities. Together with a group of women, she founded the Women's Experimental Association and established a school for underprivileged girls. In 1922, she traveled to France and enrolled in a boarding college while also writing articles on women's independence for newspapers such as Time. In 1926, she participated in the International Women's Congress in Paris and delivered a major speech advocating for women's rights. Upon her return to Iran, she continued her advocacy, not only for equal rights but also for the removal of the hijab. She was one of the founders of the Iranian Women's Center, established in 1935. In 1951, when Mohammad Mossadegh revised the election law, Dowlatabadi wrote to hom urging the inclusion of women's right to vote
Despite Mossadegh's inability to satisfy Dowlatabadi's request, she and her fellow activists and thinkers persisted in their efforts. Finally, in 1962, women were granted the right to vote and to be elected to parliament. Dowlatabadi did not live to see this milestone and to cast her own vote. She passed away in 1961, due to illness, and according to some accounts, she was buried in Zargandeh cemetery as per her own wishes. In her will, she stipulated that no woman with a hijab should attend her funeral, which became a pretext for extremists to desecrate her grave in 1979. They also targeted the graves of her brother, Mohammed Ali, and Mahmoud Nariman. Years later, during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's mayoral term, a park was built on the site to erase any trace of the graves. Although there is no grave remaining for her, Sadiqeh Dowlatabadi's tireless efforts for women's equal rights have immortalized her name in the history of Iranian women.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/influential-women/117780-iranian-influential-women-sadiqeh-dowlatabadi/

Note from Gino d'Artali: our sisters in Afghanistan greet us with fist raised:
Jinha - Womens news agency - June 30, 2023
<<Afghan woman: The Taliban are afraid of women's will
Herat- After seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban established a ministry named <The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice> as the state agency in charge of implementing Islamic law. The Taliban members affiliated to this ministry pose a threat to the peace and security of women on the streets under the name of control. Dozens of women have been arrested and subjected to insults, torture and ill-treatment by the members of the ministry for not complying with Islamic law for not wearing hijabs or veils. A.S. is one of these women. While she was going shopping with her mother-in-law, the members of the ministry stopped them. They were taken to a detention center in Kabul and subjected to insult. <We were asked to buy black veils. We told them that we did not have money. They released us after three hours of insult,> she told NuJINHA.
She was subjected to insult and ill-treatment
Niloufar Hakimi, a teacher in the city of Herat, was also arrested by the members of the ministry. While she was going to Kabul with her husband, they were stopped and arrested. They were also taken to a detention center in Kabul. Niloufer Hakimi indicated that she was insulted, and the members of the ministry put pressure on her husband to buy a veil for her. <I thought my clothes were appropriate but while we were entering a mall, they stopped us. They took me to a detention center and forced my husband to buy a black veil for me. My husband did not have enough money to buy a veil for me because veils are very expensive. My husband had to leave me alone there to go home and take some money. After he borrowed some money from one of his friends, he bought it.>
'The Taliban are afraid of women's will'
Indicating that the ministry also has female members, Niloufer Hakimi said, <There were also female members of the ministry but they were nice to me. As I understand, they have to work. As Afghan women, we will never surrender to the Taliban. The Taliban force us to wear hijab and veil because they are afraid of women's will. We will always struggle against such policies.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/afghan-woman-the-taliban-are-afraid-of-women-s-will-33487?page=1

Iranwire - June 21, 2023
<Mahsa Jina Amini> Street Plaques Unveiled in Ottawa
Officials in the Canadian capital have unveiled <Mahsa Jina Amini> street plaques to honor the memory of the young Iranian woman whose death in police custody in September last year sparked months-long anti-government protests. The plaques were unveiled on June 20 on Metcalfe Street, where the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran was located before its closure 10 years ago. The ceremony was attended by Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, city councilors Teresa Kavanagh and Ariel Troster, and members of the Canadian-Iranian community. The September 2022 death of 22-year-old Amini, soon after she was arrested by morality police for allegedly violating the country's hijab law, triggered months of nationwide protests demanding fundamental economic, social and political changes.>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117758-mahsa-jina-amini-street-plaques-unveiled-in-ottawa/

Iranwire - June 20, 2023
<<Mandatory Hijab Rules Cost Iranians up to $900 Million Annually
Mandatory hijab laws cost Iranians up to 45 trillion tomans ($900 million) per year, according to new research by Iran Open Data. In a recent article, the collaborative initiative explained that these expenses is borne by Iranians in two ways.
- The indirect costs: Iran Open Data estimates that the current government budget allocates around 9 trillion tomans ($180 million) for hijab enforcement.
- The direct costs related to the specific clothing items Iranian women must purchase, such as manteaus and head coverings. Iran Open Data estimates that these expenses amount to over 36 trillion tomans ($720 million) per year.
According to Iran Open Data, the estimated $900 million spent annually to enforce mandatory hijab rules are equivalent to the monthly income of up to 7 million workers who earn minimum wage.
***
Iran Open Data's article in English is available here.:
https://iranopendata.org/en/pages/mandatory-hijab-rules-cost-the-public-up-to-9-million-annually
Click here for the original article in Persian.:
https://iranopendata.org/fa_IR/pages/129-how-much-does-the-islamic-republic-spend-on-compulsory-hijab-in-iran
Founded in 2016, Iran Open Data (IOD) strives to make Iran’s official data accessible, available and re-usable. Not only does IOD collect and process raw datasets for researchers and experts, it also publishes exclusive data-driven articles and digital stories for the general public. Additionally, IOD conducts public data calls and surveys on often neglected or taboo issues that are rarely addressed by the government. Follow IOD for all the data-stories concerning Iran.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117743-mandatory-hijab-rules-cost-iranians-up-to-900-million-annually/

Iranwire - June 20, 2023
Hijab Law Violator Sentenced to Unpaid Cleaning Work
A criminal court in Tehran has sentenced a woman to 270 hours of unpaid cleaning work for allegedly violating mandatory hijab rules in public places, the feminist Twitter account Bidarzani reported. <The accused must work for four hours daily in the building of the Ministry of Interior and its associated departments such as the governor's office> in the capital, it said on June 19. The sentence, which is final and non-appealable, was issued as an alternative to two months imprisonment. The report called the alternative sentence <one of the new forms of repression and punishment of women, which will ultimately lead to the exploitation of free labor.> The sentencing comes as the Iranian government has intensified its efforts to enforce the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women and girls.>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117713-hijab-law-violator-sentenced-to-unpaid-cleaning-work/

Iranwire - June 19, 2023 - by MARYAM DEHKORDI
<<University Students Protesting Forced Hijab Beaten, Arrested
In the early hours of June 17, special forces and plainclothes security personnel assaulted students protesting mandatory headscarf rules outside the campus of Tehran Art University and detained 10 of them. The detained students, who included both men and women, were taken away in an unmarked van. The Iranian Student Union issued a statement on June 18 announcing the release of most of those detained. In separate statements, student associations across the country condemned the violent arrests and denounced the threats issued by university authorities. Students at Tehran Art University had been holding sit-ins since June 14, after security and administration officials of the university announced that <headscarves will be mandatory starting from June 17.> A former university professor who wishes to remain anonymous told IranWire that <some students have been stopped and interrogated by security forces even at Imam Khomeini subway station.> Arrests were made under the pretext that the students were recording films with their mobile phones, the ex-professor said, adding: <Officers seized students holding mobile phones and forcibly placed them into vans.> Reports received by IranWire indicate that the arrests involved beatings and other forms of violence. The former professor confirmed that many students suffered scratches and injuries on their bodies: <One girl, originally from another city and residing in the dormitory, suffered a nervous breakdown after resisting the interrogators' questions....Another girl was terrified after leaving the interrogation building and became disoriented. She could not find her way back to the dormitory or the university.> Some of the arrested students revealed that during their interrogations, security agents attempted to coerce confessions. An informed source told IranWire that university officials have threatened to use brutal force against protesters.>>
Source here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117676-university-students-protesting-forced-hijab-beaten-arrested/

Iranwire - June 19, 2023
<<Iranian Actress's New Salon Shut Down for Hijab Violations
Authorities in Iran closed down a beauty salon owned by Iranian actress Sareh Bayat for allegedly violating hijab codes, IranWire reports, just two days after its opening. The Public Security Police of the capital Tehran made an official statement on Monday, June 19, saying that the salon had been referred to the judicial authorities. The closure was prompted by alleged <violations of the hijab code and the publication of related videos on social media,> which authorities considered offensive to the public. All women in public spaces in Iran must conceal their hair with a headscarf, or hijab, and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats. Videos of Sareh Bayat's beauty salon opening went viral online due to the presence of prominent actor Mohammad Reza Golzar. Following the publication of these videos, government supporters online expressed disapproval, criticizing the presence of women without mandatory hijab. Several people demanded the government take action against the salon. Over the past several months, the Iranian government has intensified its efforts to enforce compulsory hijab for Iranian women and girls. Businesses that cater to customers not adhering to hijab regulations have become targets. Numerous businesses have been forced to close their doors - causing thousands to lose their livelihoods. But in an act of defiance against the ideology and laws of the Islamic Republic, a growing number of women, including celebrities, have appeared in public without head coverings since nationwide protests began last year.>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117680-iranian-actresss-new-salon-shut-down-for-hijab-violations/



Symbolic commemoration of those killed during Iran protests at Tehran's University of Art, January 2023
NCRI - Womens committee - in Women's news - June 18, 2023
<<Plainclothes Agents arrested ten Art University Students
Plainclothes agents arrested ten Art University students in front of the Bagh-e Melli campus on June 18, 2023, the National Students Council announced. They were apprehended and pushed into an unmarked van without a license plate and moved away from the location. There is no accurate information available about the current situation of these students. In the meantime, the State Security Force and Special Units are stationed in front of the university. The National Students Council has reported that on Saturday morning, June 17, 2023, security guards prevented female students of the University of Art from leaving the dormitories without wearing the maghna'eh, a black cloth covering their head, forehead, chin, and chest. Even those who did not intend to attend university were prevented from leaving. However, the students were later allowed to leave but threatened that they would be investigated upon return.
Offering maghna'eh to the Art University students
Other reports indicated that security guards accompanied by a few female agents had been stationed in front of the School of Cinema and Theater. They would approach female students and offer them to wear the maghna'eh, warning them that they would be deprived of the exams if they did not comply. Similarly, at the School of Music, security guards would not allow entry to female students who did not wear the maghna'eh. However, a group of students gathered at the entrance and escorted the targeted individual inside the department. Ten Art University Students Were Arrested by Plainclothes Agents.Threatening to crack down on students with heavy machineguns. On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, some 50 Art University students staged a sit-in protest at the Bagh-e Melli campus against the mandatory enforcement of Maghna'eh on female students. Around 2:30 am on Thursday, June 15, 2023, Hamzeh Borzouii Kootenaei, the head of the Security Department at Tehran's University of Art, viciously attacked and injured the protesting students. Several students were in critical condition. The guards prevented the students in the sit-in from using restroom facilities and accessing drinking water. Additionally, plainclothes agents stationed outside the university prevented the delivery of food and water to the students. According to the Shargh newspaper, the head of the Security Department at Tehran’s University of Art intimidated the students with a <strange threat.> In a meeting, he reportedly told the students they would crack down on them with DShK (heavy machine guns).
Message by Art University students, other universities' support
In response to the threats made by the head of the Security Department at Tehran's University of Art, a group of Art University students issued a message in which they emphasized, <We, who have become 'us' for nearly a year, have nothing to say to you except one word: No. After cutting off the water and resorting to violence against our friends who were peacefully protesting to achieve equality at the Bagh-e Melli campus, we reiterate that there is no going back. The wound opened in September is still bleeding, and we stand hand in hand for freedom.> Students from several universities, including the University of Science and Technology, Khajeh Nassir Toosi University of Technology, University of Tehran, Melli University, Teachers' Training University, Soore University, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and Mazandaran University, have condemned the security forces’ violent arrests, threats of a severe crackdown, and the use of DShK against the students, in statements expressing their support for the Art University students. According to the National Students Council, Maedeh Adami Makri, a 22-year-old Performing Arts student at the University of Art in Tehran, was arrested at her home on Saturday, June 17. After a few hours, she contacted her family. She informed them that she had been transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. So far, no information is available regarding the reasons for her arrest. Earlier, Mahshid Esmaeili, a graduate student in the Philosophy of Art at the University of Art in Tehran who had recently defended her thesis, was arrested by security forces in Shahr-e Kord on May 30 and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. After being transferred to Ward 209, she has been held in solitary confinement for ten days. There is still no information available about the charges against her.
Universities have been hotbeds of protests against the clerical regime during the nationwide Iran uprising. Students of the University of Art have shown their support for the protesters by creating artistic works ever since the protests started.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/18/art-university-students/

IFMAT - June 16, 2023
<<Police Chief In Iran Vows 'To Break The Neck' Of Hijab Opponents
A police chief in norther Iran has threatened to <break the neck> of anyone who speaks out against compulsory hijab, adding that he will take responsibility for that. Hassan Mafkhami police commander in Mazandaran province on the shores of the Caspian Sea was inspecting beaches where millions of Iranians visit from the capital Tehran and other cities during the summer. Women are forbidden to bathe without cloths and should be fully cladded on the beaches. He told law enforcement agents, <In this province and its towns if someone God forbid raises her voice, break her neck according to law and I will take responsibility for it.> Tens of thousands of Iranian women have been defying compulsory hijab this year after nationwide protests erupted last September when Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman died in 'morality police' custody from severe head injuries. Hardliners in the clerical-military regime, however, have vowed <to restore order>, saying that hijab for women is their <red line>. The conservative dominated parliament is debating a bill to further codify the hijab, including imposing hefty fines on women and denial of social services if they refuse to cover their heads. The issue has turned into a rallying cry against the regime that regularly intervenes in the private lives of the citizens. Many regime insiders have urged caution, saying that another hijab incident can lead to renewed anti-government protests. Police officials have vowed to install <smart cameras> on the beaches of the Caspian Sea to identify women who break the rules.>>
Source:
https://www.ifmat.org/06/16/police-chief-in-iran-vows-to-break-the-neck-of-hijab-opponents/

Iranwire - June 16, 2023
<<Cameras and AI: Islamic Republic's High Tech Plans to Enforce Hijab
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has endorsed increasing the number of surveillance cameras used to identify women who defy mandatory hijab rules, choosing not to wear the headscarf in public, the Islamic Republic's police commander said on Thursday. The move comes amid escalating pressure from the Islamic Republic to enforce mandatory hijab and to use artificial intelligence to identify women seen without headscarves. Ahmadreza Radan, speaking on Thursday, June 15, in relation to the <detection of hijab through cameras,> said the police force had requested the government to enhance the <coverage level> of surveillance cameras. He also announced that Raisi has expressed his agreement with the proposal, <raising hopes for the allocation of funds in the near future.> According to Radan, the implementation of the project aims to maximize security on various fronts. In its initial phase, the system will send reminder SMS notifications to individuals found to be violating hijab. Subsequently, follow-up SMS messages will be issued for <judicial and law enforcement> purposes. Previously, Radan had issued a warning that the police force would use CCTV cameras and smart systems in cities across Iran to identify women not adhering to mandatory hijab.
Women who persistently appear without hijab would then be referred to the courts.
For more than 40 years, women in Iran have been subjected to discriminatory treatment regarding employment, education, clothing and inheritance, among other areas.>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117594-cameras-and-ai-islamic-republics-high-tech-plans-to-enforce-hijab/

NCRI - Womens committee - June 15, 2023 - in Women's News
<<Students of Tehran University of Art harshly beaten for refusing the mandatory Hijab
The head of the Security Department brutalized students of Tehran University of Art, some of whom are in critical condition
Following the students of Tehran University of Art's protest against the obligation for female students to wear the Maghna'eh, a black cloth covering their head, forehead, chin, and chest, the head of the university’s security subjected the protesting students to harsh beatings, as a result of which some students were injured. On June 14, 2023, the National Students Councils announced that around 50 students of Tehran University of Art, starting from 5 pm on Thursday, June 15, 2023, gathered at the university's Bagh-e Melli campus to protest against the obligation for female students to wear the Maghna'eh. Despite the threats from the security department and gathering of plainclothes agents outside the university, the students continued their sit-in protest. Agents of the security department did not allow the protesting students to use the restroom facilities or drink water. Additionally, the plainclothes agents outside the university prevented the delivery of food and water to the students. In the evening, Hamzeh Borzouii, the head of the security department, threatened the students that he would open the university gates to the plainclothes agents. Around 2:30 am on Thursday, June 15, 2023, Borzouii started beating the protesting students of Tehran University of Art. Some of the students were injured, and several are in critical condition. The National Students Councils reported on Thursday, June 15, that despite the ongoing pressure and threats from the security department, the students are still inside the university premises and are not allowed to leave. After the nationwide protests in 2022, the pressure on universities to enforce the mandatory Hijab has intensified. The scale of pressure on students is such that those who do not comply with the mandatory Hijab or participate in any form of protest are quickly summoned, facing penalties such as expulsion and suspension from education for actively opposing the mandatory hijab.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/15/students-of-tehran-university-of-art/

NCRI - Women committee - in Women's news - June 15, 2023
<<Students of Tehran University of Art harshly beaten for refusing the mandatory Hijab
June 15, 2023in Women's News
The head of the Security Department brutalized students of Tehran University of Art, some of whom are in critical condition
Following the students of Tehran University of Art’s protest against the obligation for female students to wear the Maghna'eh, a black cloth covering their head, forehead, chin, and chest, the head of the university’s security subjected the protesting students to harsh beatings, as a result of which some students were injured. On June 14, 2023, the National Students Councils announced that around 50 students of Tehran University of Art, starting from 5 pm on Thursday, June 15, 2023, gathered at the university’s Bagh-e Melli campus to protest against the obligation for female students to wear the Maghna'eh. Despite the threats from the security department and gathering of plainclothes agents outside the university, the students continued their sit-in protest. Agents of the security department did not allow the protesting students to use the restroom facilities or drink water. Additionally, the plainclothes agents outside the university prevented the delivery of food and water to the students. In the evening, Hamzeh Borzouii, the head of the security department, threatened the students that he would open the university gates to the plainclothes agents.
Around 2:30 am on Thursday, June 15, 2023, Borzouii started beating the protesting students of Tehran University of Art. Some of the students were injured, and several are in critical condition. The National Students Councils reported on Thursday, June 15, that despite the ongoing pressure and threats from the security department, the students are still inside the university premises and are not allowed to leave. After the nationwide protests in 2022, the pressure on universities to enforce the mandatory Hijab has intensified. The scale of pressure on students is such that those who do not comply with the mandatory Hijab or participate in any form of protest are quickly summoned, facing penalties such as expulsion and suspension from education for actively opposing the mandatory Hijab.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/15/students-of-tehran-university-of-art/
 

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