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| Zahra Navidpour (1990 - 2019) |
"Despite the restrictive environment she lived in and the conditions created by the Iranian regime, Zahra Navidpour did not remain silent in the face of the injustice she faced. Even at the cost of her own life, she spoke out about the assault," women's rights activist Mehsa Mehdili says in an interview with Voice of America.
On January 6, Zahra Navidpour, a 28-year-old woman from East Azerbaijan, unexpectedly passed away, causing widespread reaction. A few months earlier, she had shared audio and video recordings in which she claimed to have been assaulted by Salman Khodadadi, the Member of Parliament from her hometown of Malikan (Malikkandi).
Mehsa Mehdili draws attention to how Zahra did not remain silent, acting contrary to the entrenched traditions in society.
"In South Azerbaijan and generally in Iran, thousands of women face sexual abuse in different forms, but they remain silent. The environment and circumstances condemn them to silence. However, Zahra Navidpour was a girl who broke taboos and shattered fears," the Turkish activist notes.
She emphasizes that Zahra Navidpour became a symbol of courage:
"Considering the circumstances of the small community she lived in, as well as the situation created by the Iranian regime, a girl in such a situation faces such injustice and does not remain silent. Even at the cost of her own life, she repeatedly speaks out... Zahra Navidpour is a symbol. She is an important symbol of courage. No matter who the opposing force is, she spoke out and voiced the assault."
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| Mehsa Mehdili |
According to Mehsa Mehdili, "In Iran, the perpetrator of the assault is not ashamed of what he did. On the contrary, the victim, whether a child, an adult, or a woman, is condemned to silence... Morality is not praised for men. Morality is only praised for women. When a man acts immorally, makes a wrong move, or commits sexual abuse, he is not pursued aggressively. The woman who has been abused is considered immoral."
Mehsa Mehdili believes that the death of the young woman has changed the perspectives of society, even if slightly.
"In Zahra Navidpour's case, we saw that the views have changed a bit. We saw that, this time, society did not blame the victim of the assault," she points out, drawing attention to the #MeToo campaign (#MənDə) that emerged after Navidpour’s death:
"Turks, especially public activists, have started writing with the Turkish version of #MeToo, the hashtag #MənDə. When I looked at this hashtag, I saw that the painful death of this woman caused an awakening. It brought people to their senses, telling them that if you too have been sexually abused, speak up. I even saw that men are writing as well. Zahra Navidpour started this path..."
Mehsa Mehdili also talks about the regime's view of women in Iran.
"The system ruling Iran is already against women. It sees women as a sexual object. In the government’s propaganda for the hijab, the posters it hangs portray women as chocolate and men as flies or insects. It promotes to the nation that women are sexual objects who will be confined to their nests, not show themselves, not protest, and not speak out..." Mehsa Mehdili states.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məhsa Mehdili: Zəhra Nəvidpur yeni bir yol başlatdı