“Women, Life, Freedom!” These are the chants being heard around Iran right now. Twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested for breaking strict hijab laws earlier this week – a few days later she died in police custody. This has sparked outrage in the country that hasn’t been seen since the protests of 2009. In 2009 it was a different story, and protests were silenced promptly with killings by the harsh regime. Today – we are connecting even faster with the advance of social media and communication systems, giving the world a glimpse of injustices all around. We are seeing the women of Iran dancing on the streets sans headscarves, clashing with morality police. We are seeing the men of Iran standing side-by-side with their women counterparts, dreaming of a better future for their children. For too long have the women of Iran, with their strong resolve and hope, been the victims of an inhumane system. These laws have been around for a little over 40 years. My parents escaped in 1980 because of the change in dynamic that came after the revolution – everyone was scared of what would happen next. My parents thought it would only be a few years before they could go back home –  they didn’t think they’d have to start whole new lives somewhere else. That wasn’t the case, however, and there are many people (members of the diaspora) just watching on the sidelines, hoping that one day they can go back home too. 

This is the phenomenology that I experience through my mom and dad, through the memories of when I was a kid, or through my family members who weren’t as “blessed” as we were to leave. Our land was taken over by vultures – who were only there to line their own pockets and suck out every last drop from the innocent. The cowards say it’s in the name of God, but these people aren’t Muslim or even religious for that matter – they’re thieves hiding behind a facade and destroying a beautiful culture and country in the process. If recent history shows anything, I think these protests will be on the news for a few days to be eventually forgotten – but I don’t think the will of the Iranian people is one to forget. They are hungry for change and I hope that we get to see that, at least in my lifetime. No government, no power, no faction, and no regime is stronger than the will of a woman – and with that, I am confident.