Islamic oppression Iran | 13 October 2022

Iran: Can weeks of protest topple the regime?

Widespread protests calling for an end to the clerical establishment have continued in Iran since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, died on 16 September while being detained by the morality police in Tehran for "inappropriate attire".

 

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As reported by Reuters on 11 October 2022, widespread protests calling for an end to the clerical establishment have continued in Iran since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, died on 16 September while being detained by the morality police in Tehran for "inappropriate attire". The Iranian regime, which has been trying to disperse protesters by force, came under further pressure as protests were also staged at oil installations, where workers went on strike. As stated by The Arab Weekly on 11 October 2022: “An Oslo-based group, Iran Human Rights, estimates at least 185 people have been killed” and “[t]he demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 2009 Green Movement protests”.

World Watch Research analyst Michael Bosch gives some background information: “Although the protests have spread to oil installations in the southwest, they are mainly concentrated in the Kurdish northwest of the country, with students and other demonstrators joining in larger cities. There have also been protests involving many fatalities in south-eastern Sistan-Baluchistan, but these seem separate from the main demonstrations which are symbolized by removing the hijab in public. At its core, the protests are about economic disparity and the lack of (religious) freedom.”

Michael Bosch continues: “Troops have been called in to disperse crowds, but as long as it retains command of the armed forces the regime has little cause for serious worry. Reformist politicians seem willing to listen to some of the demands of the protesters, but the hardliners control each and every state institution, including parliament. Hence, it is hard to believe that the protests will ultimately lead to any significant change, especially since a clear plan of opposition seems to be lacking. This has been highlighted in an article published by Carnegie Europe on 11 October 2022:
Clearly, the current protests differ from previous waves as they unite people from all walks of life in cities across the country, not asking for reforms but showing their outright contempt for the Islamic Republic. However, in contrast to the Green Movement of 2009, for example, and similar to the hardship-driven riots between 2017 and 2019, they lack any sort of leader or political agenda.

For Christians, and especially those from a Muslim background, the regime response so far confirms that no positive change can be expected. Freedoms in general - and especially Freedom of Religion or Belief - are highly unlikely to improve.”
 

 

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