Iran’s repression machine and the people’s resistance

Iran is a country that has been ruled by a theocratic dictatorship for over four decades. The Iranian people have suffered from oppression, corruption, injustice, poverty, and isolation under the Islamic Republic. They have also faced brutal repression whenever they have tried to voice their grievances or demand their rights. In this article, I will explain how Iran’s repression machine works and how the protesters are rising up against it. I will also provide some historical and political context to understand the roots and the goals of the current uprising.

The spark that ignited the fire

The spark that ignited the fire of the latest protests was the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after being arrested and beaten by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly on September 16, 2022. Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who had come to Tehran from Saqqez with her brother. She was stopped by the Guidance Patrol, a paramilitary force that enforces Islamic laws and norms on the streets, such as the compulsory hijab for women, the prohibition of alcohol and music, and the segregation of genders. According to eyewitnesses, she was pushed into a van and severely beaten by the morality police, who also assaulted her brother when he protested. She was taken to the Vozara detention center, where she fell into a coma and was transferred to a hospital, where she died three days later.

The Iranian authorities claimed that Mahsa Amini had a heart attack at the police station and denied any responsibility for her death. However, leaked medical scans showed that she had a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke due to head injuries, suggesting that she died as a result of police brutality. Her death sparked outrage and grief among the Iranian people, especially women and young people, who saw her as a symbol of their own oppression and injustice. Her funeral in Saqqez turned into a massive protest, where thousands of people chanted slogans against the regime and demanded justice for Mahsa Amini. Her grave was inscribed with the words “Jina, dear! You will not die. Your name will turn into a symbol.”.

The nationwide uprising

Mahsa Amini’s death was the catalyst for a nationwide uprising that began by asking for accountability and justice, but soon escalated to demanding regime change and an end to the clerical rule. The protests spread to more than 100 cities and towns across the country, involving millions of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions. The protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s policies on various issues, such as the economy, the environment, the pandemic, the nuclear deal, the foreign interventions, the human rights violations, and the lack of freedom and democracy. They also voiced their solidarity with other oppressed groups, such as the Kurds, the Baluchis, the Arabs, the Sunnis, the Baha’is, and the LGBTQ+ community.

The protesters used various methods of civil disobedience and resistance, such as blocking roads, burning tires, chanting slogans, waving flags, writing graffiti, and holding signs. Some of the most common slogans were “Death to the dictator”, “Down with the Islamic Republic”, “We don’t want the mullahs”, “Reformists, hardliners, the game is over”, and “Woman, life, freedom”. Some female protesters also removed their hijab or publicly cut their hair as acts of protest against the mandatory veiling law and the morality police. The protests were largely peaceful and spontaneous, without any centralized leadership or organization.

The brutal repression

The Iranian authorities responded to the protests with a brutal repression that was described by human rights groups as “a bloody clampdown of historic proportions”. The security forces, including the police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Basij militia, and the plainclothes agents, used excessive and lethal force to disperse the crowds and deter further demonstrations. They fired tear gas, rubber bullets, birdshot, and live ammunition into the protesters, killing hundreds of them, including children, and injuring thousands more. They also used torture, sexual assault, and arbitrary arrests and executions to intimidate and punish the protesters and their families.

According to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based NGO, more than 500 people, including 69 children, were killed during the 2022 protests, and thousands more were wounded or detained. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also reported that more than 300 people, including more than 30 children, were killed in 25 out of 31 provinces, and that the actual death toll may be much higher. Amnesty International documented that the security forces shot at the protesters’ heads, chests, and vital organs, indicating that they intended to kill or cause serious injury. The security forces also prevented the injured protesters from accessing medical care, by attacking ambulances, hospitals, and clinics, and by arresting the wounded and the medical staff.

The Iranian authorities also imposed a near-total internet shutdown for several days, in order to prevent the protesters from communicating, organizing, and sharing information and evidence of the crackdown. They also censored and distorted the media coverage of the protests, by spreading propaganda, misinformation, and lies, and by blaming the unrest on foreign enemies, such as the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. They also organized counter-protests and rallies, where they mobilized their supporters and loyalists to show their allegiance to the regime and the supreme leader.

The historical and political context

To understand the causes and the consequences of the protests, it is important to examine the historical and political context of Iran. Iran is a country that has a rich and diverse culture, history, and civilization, dating back to thousands of years. Iran has also experienced many political and social changes, revolutions, and movements, that have shaped its identity and destiny. One of the most significant events in Iran’s modern history was the 1979 revolution, which overthrew the monarchy of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the US and the UK, and established the Islamic Republic, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who claimed to represent the will of the people and the principles of Islam.

The 1979 revolution was a popular uprising that involved millions of Iranians from different walks of life, who had various grievances and aspirations, such as democracy, social justice, national sovereignty, and religious freedom. However, soon after the revolution, Khomeini and his followers consolidated their power and eliminated their rivals and opponents, by creating a theocratic dictatorship that imposed a strict interpretation of Shia Islam on the society and the state. They also created a dual system of power, where the elected branch, which includes the president, the parliament, and the judiciary, is subordinate to the unelected branch, which is dominated by the supreme leader, who has the final say on all matters of state and religion.

The supreme leader, who is the highest political and religious authority in the country, appoints the heads of the most powerful institutions in the country, such as the Guardian Council, the Expediency Council, the judiciary, the military, the intelligence, and the media. The Guardian Council, which consists of six clerics and six jurists, has the power to vet and disqualify candidates for elections, and to approve or reject laws passed by the parliament. The Expediency Council, which consists of 45 members, has the power to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council, and to advise the supreme leader on major policies. The judiciary, which is headed by the chief justice, who is appointed by the supreme leader for a five-year term, has the power to prosecute and sentence anyone who is accused of violating the laws and the norms of the Islamic Republic.

The supreme leader also controls the morality police, a paramilitary force that enforces Islamic laws and norms on the streets, such as the compulsory hijab for women, the prohibition of alcohol and music, and the segregation of genders. The morality police are notorious for harassing, arresting, and abusing ordinary citizens, especially women and young people, who defy their rules or express their dissent. The morality police are not the only force that the supreme leader relies on to suppress the people’s resistance. He also commands the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful and influential army that operates inside and outside Iran. The IRGC was created by Khomeini after the 1979 revolution, when he decided to form a new loyal army to protect himself and his ideology from any internal or external threats. The IRGC has grown into a huge military, political, and economic entity, that controls various sectors and institutions in the country, such as the nuclear program, the ballistic missiles, the oil and gas, the construction, the telecommunications, and the media. The IRGC also has a branch called the Quds Force, which is responsible for conducting covert operations and supporting proxy groups and militias in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, the Houthis in Yemen, and the Shia militias in Iraq and Syria.

The IRGC is also out on the streets, cracking down on protesters, using excessive and lethal force, such as tear gas, rubber bullets, birdshot, and live ammunition, as well as torture, sexual assault, and arbitrary arrests and executions. The IRGC has a history of violence and repression against the Iranian people, especially during the 2009 Green Movement, when millions of Iranians protested against the disputed presidential election that gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term. The IRGC was also involved in the assassination of several dissidents and activists, both inside and outside Iran, such as the journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was kidnapped from Iraq and hanged in Iran in December 2020.

The IRGC is widely hated and feared by the Iranian people, who see it as a symbol of the regime’s corruption, oppression, and aggression. The protesters have targeted the IRGC’s bases, vehicles, and personnel, by throwing stones, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks, and by setting them on fire. The protesters have also chanted slogans against the IRGC, such as “IRGC, shame on you, leave the country alone”, “IRGC, you are ISIS”, and “Death to the IRGC”. The protesters have also expressed their support for the US sanctions and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, who was killed by a US drone strike in January 2020. The protesters have also called for the IRGC to be designated as a terrorist organization by the international community.

The conclusion

The Iranian people are as committed as ever to challenging the regime and demanding fundamental change, despite the risks and costs they face. They have shown remarkable courage, resilience, and creativity in their struggle for freedom, justice, and dignity. They have also shown a remarkable sense of unity, solidarity, and diversity in their movement, which transcends the artificial divisions and labels that the regime has imposed on them.

I hope you find my opinion piece interesting and informative. 😊