Women – Life – Freedom. 5th Peace & Conflict Talk

On 16 September 2022, 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini was murdered in Tehran after being detained by the Iranian regime’s morality police for not complying with the strict government standards of the mandatory wearing of the hijab. The news of her death sparked outrage in the population of Iran, starting with women protesting the compulsory hijab laws and the treatment of women in general, but soon growing into nation wide protests of a revolutionary nature. International attention and solidarity started, too, resulting in social media campaigns and demonstrations – the latest being a protest in Berlin with an estimated 80.000 participants.

In an attempt to hinder the coordination of protests and international attention, the Iranian government shut down internet access and no longer allows independent/ foreign journalists into the country. This contributes to a confusing and incomplete knowledge of what is happening at the moment. However, news of the brutal treatment of protesters, many more deaths, and on 15 October, a fire in the Evin prison where political prisoners are held came to light through mainly social media information work of activists.

The ongoing protests are being brutally responded to by the Iranian authorities. Despite the regime's efforts to block all the international communication, hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in the protests, including 16-year-old Nika Shakarami, who 

was filmed burning a hijab during the protests, went missing afterwards and was found dead. Despite the extreme repressive force used against the people, protests, strikes, and funerals for the killed are still happening.

Our Peace & Conflict Talk wants to not only include an academic view but also make room for activist perspectives and knowledge. Among further discussions, we propose the following questions: What do we know about the situation inside Iran right now? What dynamics led to the situation? What can emerge from them/what are the perspectives going forward? How to handle official state information from Iran’s government, especially regarding media coverage of the situation? In what way is this a “feminist” protest or more? Which groups are involved and how? What do the people of Iran need and want (also: from the West)? What can we do? What must political leaders do? How do activists deal with the risk that their work poses for them and their families?

• Input by Azadeh Akbari (University of Twente)
• Input by Tabassom Fanaian (Independent Researcher)

moderated by

• Arin H. Ayanian (Postdoctoral Researcher at the IKG)
• Zeynep Demir (Chair of the Equality Commission at the Faculty of Educational Science)

All Information and Zoom-Link: https://blogs.uni-bielefeld.de/blog/ikgblog/resource/PDF/5thPaCT4.11.22.pdf