Expulsion of the Islamic Republic from the Commission on the Status of Women
According to Iran Gate, the United Nations Economic and Social Council expelled the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday with a majority vote. The UN Commission on the Status of Women is the main global body for defending women’s rights and eliminating discrimination, operating as a subsidiary of the UN Economic and Social Council.
Iran was elected as a member of this body last year. The membership term in the UN Commission on the Status of Women is four years. This council has 55 members. Following recent protests, the United States drafted a resolution to expel Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women, which was put to a vote on Wednesday. In this session, Russia attempted to prevent the voting and Iran’s expulsion, but was halted by the majority vote. However, in addition to Russia, representatives from China, Venezuela, Syria, and Pakistan spoke against Iran’s expulsion.
Mahsa: The Code Name for Iranian Women
Three months ago, after the killing of Mahsa Amini by the morality police, few could have imagined that this tragic incident would spark a progressive and demanding movement for ‘Woman, Life, Freedom.’ Mahsa was not the first victim of the regime’s oppression of Iranian women’s rights, but she was undoubtedly the most significant, as her tragic death revealed the pent-up anger and fire simmering for nearly half a century, laying the foundation for a large, progressive, and inclusive movement with the beautiful slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom.’
Undoubtedly, Iranian society, especially women, is divided into two parts: before the movement and post-Mahsa, which, according to many socio-political activists, will not return to the pre-Mahsa era.
Reactions to the Post-Mahsa Era
In a note titled ‘A Strand of Hair,’ Mohsen Renani says it can now be said without hesitation that this system is failing because it never had a theory of defeat. What is happening on the streets of Iran today is, according to experts, a major shock to a government that perhaps never imagined its opponents would be the young people and students who would shake the foundations of the regime.
Mahsa Amini’s death became a spark for the people’s expectations from the government. Now, the power’s blade cannot confront the falling headscarves, and in a way, Iran has entered an era of optional hijab. The number of people who have removed their headscarves and thrown them into the fire is beyond the imagination of the regime and society.
It seems what is happening on the streets today is the beginning of the renaissance that researchers had promised. In March 2019, Mohsen Renani said that the renaissance occurring in Iran would be greater and better than the European Renaissance. He said the European Renaissance was the separation of religion from politics, but in Iran’s renaissance, the separation of faith from religious law has occurred, which is far ahead of European secularism.
Vahid Ashtari, a principled justice-seeking activist, wrote on Twitter that the era of mandatory hijab is almost over and we are in the post-Mahsa era. Do not be fooled by analysts who claim a great victory and coming out triumphant from a new sedition. ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ has achieved its goals.
Anger Replaces Fear
One of the most important features of this round of protests is the collapse of fear of seeing security forces and special units. In past protests, a few officers could sometimes push back a large number of protesters, but social media images and eyewitness reports show that young people and teenagers are not afraid of seeing officers and stand up to them.
In many videos, it has been observed that special unit forces have been forced to retreat in front of protesters. Now, with the support of the international community and serious reactions from international institutions towards the protesters and punitive legal decisions against the regime, it seems that the protesters and even the silent dissidents of society have gained more confidence compared to the pressured government.
On the other hand, in recent years, government forces have not only shot at protesters but have also spread fear and intimidation among the families of the deceased and protesters. In every period, particularly mothers have not remained silent and have stood against these pressures. In this round of protests, more than ever, families and especially mothers have not succumbed to these threats.
For example, in the case of Nika Shakarami, the judiciary, along with all government media, tried to give the murder of a seventeen-year-old girl a criminal appearance, but despite forced confessions from Nika Shakarami’s aunt and uncle, her mother released a video that nullified the entire scheme. All of these can shift the balance in favor of the people and protesters and make the situation even more difficult for the regime.