Tag: <span>Mahsa Amini</span>

Masoud Pezeshkian Appeals

Iran: A Glimmer of Hope.

The election on 5 July 2024 of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian offers a glimmer of hope for a reduction of tensions in the Middle East and an improvement of living conditions in Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian, who was Minister of Health, 2001-2005, and a long-time member of the parliament will have to navigate skillfully within the constraits of Iran’s political order in which the Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle hold most of the political power.  The second round of the election process between Pezeshkian and the conservative hard-liner Saeed Jolili makes Pezeshkian look like a liberal.

Ali Khamenei – Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Woman-Life-Liberty.

    On the level of the general population, there is an aspiration for change, for a reduction of the high level of inflation, and an improvement in the standard of living.  The election, caused by the accidental death of the then President, Ebrahim Raisi, came at a time of long-simmering popular grievances highlighted by the wide-spread demonstrations held under the theme of “Woman-Life-Liberty” after the death at the hands of the “Morality Police” of Mahsa Amini.  On the domestic front, much is expected of Masoud Pezeshkian to overcome wide-spread alienation. His openness to dialogue and reform will be closely watched.

Thousands turn out in Melbourne to stand in solidarity with protests that have broken out in Iran following the death of 22-year old Mahsa (also known as Jina or Zhina) Amini at the hands of the country’s brutal dictatorship and its ‘morality’ police. By Matt Hrkac from Geelong / Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Iran: Women-Life-Liberty

The Tensions and Armed Conflicts in the Middle East. 

    On the international level, Iran is deeply involved in many of the tensions and armed conflicts in the Middle East.  The need for tension-reduction measures are urgent, but there seem to be few possibilities for good faith negotiations for the moment. 

The recent NATO Summit in Washington has highlighted Iran’s supply to Russia of drones and missiles used in the Ukraine conflict. It is not clear what role a president can play in Iran’s foreign policy.  Again, Pezeshkian’s words and deeds will be closely watched.  Much will also depend on the efforts of other governments to propose tension-reduction measures.  There are glimmers of hope, not yet a shining light.

Ex President Ebrahim Raisi of the Islamic Republic of Iran. By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Iran Deaths: New Elements in the Troubled Middle East.

   

René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Credits:

Featured Image: Masoud Pezeshkian, By Mehr News Agency, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Iran Apelaciones

El Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU se…

Imagen Destacada: Ebrahim Raisi por Nasim Online, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
El 24 de noviembre de 2022, el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas celebró una Sesión Especial sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en Irán. Una Sesión Especial es la forma más alta de atención que puede tomar el Consejo de Derechos Humanos. El Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Alemania vino en persona a Ginebra para presentar la resolución de la Sesión Especial. La resolución que se adoptó pide la creación de una misión especial de investigación para investigar:
 

“Presuntas violaciones de derechos humanos en la República Islámica de Irán.”

 
Tal investigación es un paso esencial para garantizar que los perpetradores sean responsables de sus abusos. Si bien es poco probable que el gobierno de Irán permita que el grupo de investigación ingrese al país, la creación del grupo después de un acalorado debate indica la preocupación internacional generalizada por la represión de las manifestaciones y las sentencias de muerte dictadas por los tribunales. a al menos cinco manifestantes acusados de:
 

“Moharebek” (Librando la guerra contra Dios).

 
    Las manifestaciones comenzaron el 16 de septiembre de 2022 por la muerte de una mujer de 22 años, Mahsa Amini, a manos de la “policía de la moralidad”. Había sido arrestada por mostrar demasiado cabello bajo el velo obligatorio, el hiyab. Ahora las mujeres cortándose el cabello en público se ha convertido en uno de los símbolos de las manifestaciones.
Los primeros gritos fueron “Mujeres-Vida-Libertad” (Zan-Zevdegi-Azadi) y se centraron en temas de mujeres.
Las manifestaciones habían comenzado en las áreas kurdas de Irán, siendo Mahsa Amini una kurda. Las manifestaciones también se extendieron rápidamente a todas las demás áreas de Irán. Sin embargo, la represión gubernamental ha sido más brutal contra los kurdos: el número de muertos y arrestados. En las nueve semanas de manifestaciones, los temas se han vuelto más amplios y ahora conciernen a la naturaleza teocrática del propio régimen.
Women-Life-Liberty
Imagen: Miles de personas acuden a Melbourne para solidarizarse con las protestas que han estallado en Irán tras la muerte de Mahsa (también conocida como Jina o Zhina) Amini, de 22 años, a manos de la brutal dictadura del país y su ‘moralidad’ policía. Por Matt Hrkac de Geelong/Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, vía Wikimedia Commons.

  Irán: Mujeres-Vida-Libertad.

 
El gobierno está seriamente preocupado pero es incapaz de crear una visión contraria a su marco teocrático actual. La represión por parte de la policía y el Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica es la primera línea de defensa seguida de culpar a los EE. UU. e Israel como las fuentes de las manifestaciones. Si bien hay una comunidad activa de iraníes que viven en los EE. UU. que son generalmente liberales en sus convicciones sociopolíticas, las manifestaciones actuales no son el resultado de los exiliados iraníes o los gobiernos de EE. UU. e Israel. También hay un amplio apoyo en Europa occidental para los temas de las manifestaciones.
Más bien, las manifestaciones tienen causas tanto económicas como sociales. Existe una grave recesión económica por múltiples causas que ha llevado a los comerciantes, muchas veces influyentes, a sumarse a las mafias cerrando sus comercios. Las manifestaciones también indican las diferencias sociales, especialmente las generacionales. Muchos de los que se manifiestan son jóvenes, estudiantes de secundaria y universitarios. Aunque el gobierno ha tratado de cerrar las redes sociales, la comunicación entre los jóvenes sigue siendo fuerte.
Es difícil saber cómo se desarrollarán los acontecimientos. La Misión de Investigación de la ONU tiene mucho trabajo por delante. Sus hallazgos deben ser seguidos de cerca.
 
Iran
 
Imagen: Fotos de varias protestas en Londres en solidaridad con Mahsa Amini. Por Garry Knight de Londres, Inglaterra, CC0, a través de Wikimedia Commons.

Un viento de cambio sopla cada vez más fuerte en Irán.

 

 
 
Rene Wadlow, Presidente, Asociación de Ciudadanos del Mundo.

Aquí hay otras publicaciones que pueden ser de su interés.

1 2 … 13
Iran Appeals

U.N. Human Rights Council Focus on Iran.

Featured Image: Ebrahim Raisi By Nasim Online, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
On 24 November 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council held a Special Session on the human rights situation in Iran.  A Special Session is the highest form of attention which the Human Rights Council can take.  The Foreign Minister of Germany came in person to Geneva to present the Special Session resolution.  The resolution which was adopted calls for the creation of a special fact-finding mission to investigate:
 

“Alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

 
      Such fact-finding is an essential step towards ensuring that perpetrators are held responsible for their abuses.  While it is unlikely that the government of Iran will allow the fact-finding group to enter the country, the creation of the group after a heated debate indicates the wide-spread international concern with the repression of the demonstrations and the death sentences given by courts to at least five protesters accused of:
 

“Moharebek” (waging war against God).

 
     The manifestations began on 16 September 2022 concerning the death of a 22-year old woman Mahsa Amini at the hands of the “morality police“.  She had been arrested for showing too much of her hair under the manditory veil – the Hijab.  Now women cutting their hair in public has become one of the symbols of the manifestations.  The first cries were “Women-Life-Liberty” (Zan- Zevdegi-Azadi) and were focused on women’s issues. 
The manifestations had begun in the Kurdish areas  of Iran, Mahsa Amini being a Kurd.  The manifestations quickly spread to all the other areas of Iran as well.  However, the governmental crackdown has been most brutal against the Kurds – the number killed and arrested. In the nine weeks of manifestations, the issues have become broader and now concern the theocratic nature of the regime itself.
Women-Life-Liberty
Image: Thousands turn out in Melbourne to stand in solidarity with protests that have broken out in Iran following the death of 22-year old Mahsa (also known as Jina or Zhina) Amini at the hands of the country’s brutal dictatorship and its ‘morality’ police. By Matt Hrkac from Geelong / Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Iran: Women-Life-Liberty

 
The government is seriously worried but is unable to create a counter-vision to its current theocratic framework.  Repression by the police and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the first line of defence followed by blaming the U.S.A. and Israel as the sources of the manifestations.  While there is an active community of Iranians living in the U.S.A. who are generally liberal in their social-political convictions, the current manifestations are not the results by Iranian exiles or the U.S. and Israeli governments.  There is also wide support in Western Europe for the themes of the manifestations.
     Rather the manifestations have both economic and social causes.  There is a serious economic recession due to multiple causes which has led the often influencial shopkeepers to join the mainfestations by closing their shops. The manifestations also indicate the social, especially the generational differences. Many of those manifesting are young, secondary school and university students.  Although the government has tried to shut down the social media, communications among the young remain strong.
     It is difficult to know how events will develop.  The U.N. Factfinding Mission has its work cut out for it.  Its findings should be followed closely.
 
Iran
 
 Image: Photos of various protests in London in solidarity with Mahsa Amini. By Garry Knight from London, England, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A Wind of Change Blows Ever Stronger in Iran.

 

 
 
Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens.

Here are other publications that may be of interest to you.

1 2 … 13