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# Iran’s protest going strong in 2022

On September 28, Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour posted the lyrics of “Baraye,” which means “for” or “because of” in English, on his Instagram at the height of the protests in his home country. Hajipour composed this song based on tweets of Iranian freedom seekers from all walks of life including the young, men, women and minorities. The lyrics of “Baraye” tell us why each of them is participating in the nationwide protests. As soon as Hajipour uploaded his song, it went viral across the country. People shared his song with their friends and family via Tweeter, Instagram, and chat rooms.

The song which became an anthem of Iran’s “Woman, Life, Liberty” protest movement against the regime was soon deleted from his Instagram. Later, Hajipour was arrested and investigated by the police and banned from performing his song. But the regime has failed to prevent countless Iranians from spreading his song in the streets and on social media platforms. “Baraye” was played for solidarity around the world during the October 1 worldwide protest rallies and British band Coldplay’s concert. The song touched the hearts of many in places across the globe including Seoul, Toronto, London, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Shervin Hajipour’s song “Baraye” goes viral on YouTube

Why have thousands of people taken to the streets in Iran this year? Why do their loud cries of anger never end? The protests have been going on for the past two years following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini. Amini died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for improperly wearing her hijab in Tehran during her visit to the capital city with her family. Amini was detained and fell into a coma during her arrest and met an untimely death.

For over a month after Amini’s death, Iranians of all age and tribes at home and abroad have come together to take part in the largest demonstration since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, chanting slogans “Woman, Life, Liberty” and “We don't want the Islamic regime.”

Mahsa Amini, a symbol of resistance in Iran

# Woman, Life, Liberty

Initially, the uprising was primarily led by women and Kurdish people from Amini’s hometown, who were enraged by the regime’s stringent hijab rules. “Woman, Life, Liberty” was a popular political Kurdish slogan used in the Kurdish independence movement and the protests against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the late 20th century. Right after an Islamic Republic was established following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, a massive number of women took to the streets to oppose the compulsory hijab rules and the discriminatory Sharia Law. After hijab became legally obligatory for all Iranian women in 1981, it has been at the center of disputes between female protesters and the regime for the past 40 years or so. But there hasn’t been a demonstration of this scale where thousands of defiant non-hijab wearing women have come out on the streets to set hijab on fire as a way to protest against the state oppression, raising their voice and making a difference.

A protester holds up a slogan, “Woman, Life, Freedom” in the solidarity protest in Sweden

The popular uprising is not simply about forced hijab or a woman who died in custody. Rather, it is a massive outburst of political, economic and cultural struggles, that has been long overdue. The Iranian economy has been under a serious recession since the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.

Since then, the inflation rate has spiked to over 40% while youth unemployment has surged as high as 28% in 2020. When asked how protesters managed to continue their demonstration in the face of brutal suppression by the Islamic Republic, an Iranian friend of mine who is in his 40s replied, “We cannot live like this anymore. For long, our generation has accepted things as they were, but we cannot hand over such a bleak future to younger generations.”

Young Iranians never gave up hope for a change and reform in their home country. In particular, many brave young women have kept raising their voice against the oppressive regime, not being afraid to put their lives in danger. Fearless, courageous women in Iran have always been at the forefront of social movements including the One Million Signatures campaign for the Repeal of Discriminatory Laws against women launched in 2006, the 2009 Green Movement, online hashtag rallies against compulsory hijab which started in 2014 and online and offline #LetWomenGoToStadium protests. Young people, especially women, in Iran have protested against discriminatory social norms and practices and kept raising their voices for change, even willing to risk their lives.

# Will Gen Z change the future of Iran?

The local Generation Z caught the eyes of the world during the 2022 protests in Iran. Numerous female students with hair reaching their waist joined the protests, writing political slogans on school walls. A lot of brave young souls died on the streets, protesting against the suppressive regime.

People of all generations in Iran share the cries of an 18-year-old girl living in Teheran calling for a free country.

Despite the authoritarian regime’s stringent restrictions and censorship on internet access, the Gen Z in Iran is used to social media just like younger generations in any other country across the globe. Young Iranians who are accustomed to the global media environment are frustrated and enraged by the regime’s tight control over people’s lives. Brave young local men and women are not afraid to express their opinions online, nor are they scared of taking to the streets.

No one expects that the 2022 protests will suddenly topple Iran’s theocratic regime. But what is evident is that oppression will not guarantee the stability of the regime as it wishes. Let us send our love and support to the people of Iran for their fight for freedom.