In another courageous example of standing up for women's rights, a 30-year-old student at the University of Tehran publicly defied security forces, stripped down to her underwear, and began walking shamelessly across the campus. Ahoo Daryaei is currently a student in the Science and Research Branch of Tehran's Islamic Azad University.
Last week, Ahoo was confronted by security forces for not wearing a proper hijab. Instead of submitting to their harassment, she turned her body into a symbol of protest by removing her trousers and flinging them at the Morality Police. The video of her protest immediately went viral and at one point in the video, security officers can be seen finally surrounding her and forcing Ahoo into a waiting van. It was later reported that Ahoo was taken to a mental ward and treated for some type of mental illness.
Is it a mental illness to demand freedom? Is it a crime to resist the demands of men for control over your body? For women living in Iran under the oppression of Islam, it is a crime to be free and it is a crime to control one's own body. Two years ago, on September 13, 2022, a young Kurdish woman was arrested by the Morality Police for showing too much hair and later beaten to death while in custody. The death of Mahsa Amini sparked a massive revolution known as the "Woman, life, Freedom," movement in Iran.
Ahoo clearly understood what her fate would be if she submitted to the Morality Police. Instead, she boldly removed her clothing to make a statement not only to the University campus but to the whole world. She was saying no to control and oppression! She was loudly proclaiming, "Hands off! This is my body!"
The common response of authorities is to claim that she is mentally unbalanced and must be removed from society. This tactic is continuously used by the government to delegitimize the protests of women who refuse to submit but instead oppose this evil regime. The government must discredit their protest and assign them to a group of unstable non-conformists who must be silenced. Ironically Ahoo's name means, "deer of the sea" which translated refers to one who is resilient and brave. The government is deathly afraid of anyone who would dare to stand up and scream to the world that dirty little seven-letter world called, "Freedom!"
The right to live freely, safely, and with dignity is a crime in Iran. Every person who protests is slowly chipping away at the foundation of oppression in Iran and that cannot be tolerated! Ahoo has raised the issues of bodily autonomy, freedom of expression, and gender equality. For the last four decades, Iranian women have raised their voices loudly to the silent world of feminists in the West who are more preoccupied and terrified of losing their "so called" rights under a Trump Administration and have no clue about the struggle of women in the Middle East.
I am praying That Ahoo will not become another statistic like previous brave protesters who were tortured, raped, and then killed. One way to ensure that Ahoo will not become another statistic is to be her voice and tell her story. Flood the media with pictures of her protest and make her name known to the whole world. The ongoing struggle for freedom and justice in Iran must be met with your support and prayers.
On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. While he was president in 2017, Trump was a huge supporter of the rights of the Iranian people. He was constantly on Twitter confronting the regime in Iran and warning them that the whole world was watching.
The whole world is watching you Ahoo! We have your back and we won't be silent until you are released and the oppression against women finally becomes a thing of the past in Iran!