Mahsa Amini
Title: World News #78 – Iranian Government and Police Brutality (Mahsa Amini)
Created: 2022
Medium: Graphic Design
Software: Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop CC
Dimensions: 36″x48″
Articles
“Last week, a photo of Mahsa Amini, 22, spread online in Iran. The young woman was in a coma, barely clinging to life, shortly after she had been taken into custody by the so-called “morality police” for violating the strict dress code, a mandate that women above the age of puberty must cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing in public. She died soon after, and protests erupted almost instantly. Young Iranian women and men poured into the street over the killing, women throwing their veils into burn pits as they sang and danced, all of which is illegal in the country. Riot police were soon deployed to quell the protests, but they were met with intense resistance.
By design, it’s hard to follow what’s going on now: Iran has disrupted internet and cell phone service in entire neighborhoods where clashes are being reported. Only a handful of videos of skirmishes have trickled out onto the internet, and they paint an ugly picture of what’s unfolding. At least nine people have been killed.“
– Slate, This Time Is Different.
“The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by Iran’s so-called morality police has sparked angry protests, with women burning their headscarves in a defiant act of resistance against the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code and those enforcing it.
The Gasht-e Ershad (Guidance Patrols) are special police units tasked with ensuring the respect of Islamic morals and detaining people who are perceived to be “improperly” dressed.
Under Iranian law, which is based on the country’s interpretation of Sharia, women are obliged to cover their hair with a hijab (headscarf) and wear long, loose-fitting clothing to disguise their figures.
Ms Amini allegedly had some hair visible under her headscarf when she was arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September. She fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention centre and died three days later in hospital. The force denied reports that officers beat her head with a baton and banged it against one of their vehicles.”
– BBC News, Iran protests: Mahsa Amini’s death puts morality police under spotlight.
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World News
World News is a series of artworks by Ihanktonwan Dakota artist David Bernie that discusses issues and stories affecting communities worldwide.
Creative Commons License
This work by David Bernie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may download, share, and post the images under the condition that the works are attributed to the artist.
