IN a United Kingdom replete with Tory scheming and austerity, Scotland is our hope, our bastion of progressive politics.
Yet the biggest civil rights movement in the world is taking place right now. It has reached the streets of Scotland but many continue to look the other way.
Iranians and allies across Scotland are working ceaselessly to keep eyes on the Islamic Republic regime. I urge all Scottish people to channel the values we took to the ballot box and refuse to condone femicide and state violence.
On September 16, 2022, Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian 21-year-old, was arrested on the streets of Tehran for wearing “improper hijab”.
She was brutally beaten and subsequently died in police custody. Jina’s murder sparked a protest movement that began in Iran’s Kurdistan region, rippled through the country and then sent shockwaves around the world. From Tehran to Edinburgh, Iranians and allies took to the streets to demand civil liberties for Iranian women and minorities.
READ MORE: Glasgow Girl Roza Salih pressures UK to react to death of Mahsa Amini
A year on from Jina’s death, in mainstream media and on our social media feeds a thin veneer of silence has settled in. With less attention on Iran, the world gives the Islamic regime the green light to step up its attacks on the country’s citizens.
This has been seen in recent proposals such as a new “Hijab and Chastity Bill” which could enforce harsher fines – including prison sentences of up to 10 years – on women who forgo covering in public, and in the continued arrests and executions of dissenting voices.
And yet, inside Iran, and in small collectives around the world, there are those who will not stop making noise. One such place is Scotland, where Women, Life, Freedom protest collectives are thriving.
Communities of volunteers work tirelessly to ensure the world does not forget what is happening to the people of Iran. Diasporic Iranians in Edinburgh and Glasgow are especially active in organising marches, cultural events and social media campaigns.
Their efforts offer a small slice of hope for those of us with Iranian heritage living in Scotland. They are something to be proud of in the face of continued executions, torture, and imprisonment enacted on our ancestors’ soil. But while I am proud of Scotland’s Women, Life, Freedom communities and their unrelenting support of Iran’s women, trans and queer-led movement, I can’t help but want more from Scotland.
This is a country that prides itself on defending the rights of marginalised people. It is the perfect home for a movement such as this to flourish. Refugees are welcome here. But it is not enough to simply say so — we need more (literal) feet on the ground at our protests, particularly given the UK’s historic role in imperialist politics.
Seventy years ago, a joint CIA-MI6 mission led to the ousting of Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosadegh, laying the groundwork for the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Those of us living in Scotland profit from the trickle-down effect of political manoeuvres which destabilised the Middle East. Cheaper access to oil, the domination of global markets, and geopolitical control have all strengthened our economies at the expense of people in Iran and the country’s neighbours.
Today, to commemorate the anniversary of Jina’s death, Edinburgh’s Women, Life, Freedom collective will show a short film and feature-length documentary at Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket gallery.
This will be followed by a panel discussion and a night march through the city.
The films, Pegah Ahangarani’s I Am Trying To Remember and Mina Keshavarz’s The Art of Living in Danger, are testimony to the bleak realities of life for women and minorities under the Islamic Republic’s oppressive theocratic regime. If you are looking for a way to get involved, this is where to start.
You have the power to amplify Iranian voices. Follow Women Life Freedom Edinburgh and Glasgow on social media and look out for local protests in your area. Donate to keep these movements going.
Freedom is a word we all associate with Scotland’s enduring spirit. Well Scotland, here is a way you can fight for it. Here are your fellow Scots, toiling for the emancipation of their cousins, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers abroad. Can we count on your support?
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