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| Sevil Suleymani |
Sociologist Sevil Suleymani spoke to Voice of America about the ongoing widespread protests in Iran that have been going on for weeks. She discussed the reasons why schoolchildren in cities like Ardabil have joined the protests.
Last week, the news of a student from Shahid Girls' High School in Ardabil being killed by security forces sparked protests that lasted for days in the city's squares. Many protesters, including young women and teenagers, were detained during the protests in Ardabil.
Sevil Suleymani says, “It is natural that uprisings occur in different regions due to the different characteristics and the various pressures in those areas. The protests in Ardabil were even more prominent than others because Ardabil has always been the center of Shia Islam since the Safavid era. Therefore, where the dominant religion is stronger, the oppression of women is more intense. Also, civil societies have never taken root in Ardabil. When you put all this together, it is striking that these uprisings began among women and interestingly, teenagers.”
The sociologist adds that the Islamic Republic’s attempts to indoctrinate children have had the opposite effect.
“In Ardabil, schoolchildren were taken to sing the Salam Farmandeh (Hello Commander) anthem, which is often sung by many schoolchildren in various regions of Iran as part of religious and military ceremonies. These children have grown up under the ideology and repression of the Iranian regime. In other words, it is the regime itself that draws these children into political games and social protests. The protests start when the regime gives orders to ‘gather the schoolgirls, take them to the city’s main square, Alaqapi Square, where they will chant slogans in support of the regime.’ The girls resist this. They start chanting slogans against the regime.”
The researcher on women and gender issues concludes, "The issue is not just about the hijab! Many people in the West are surprised and ask, 'Why is the hijab issue so important?' The hijab, as a symbol, represents all the repression imposed by this regime over the last 40 years. Whatever this regime wants to force on the people, it appears in the form of the hijab issue, in the issue of women."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Sevil Süleymani: Məcburi hicab 40 ildir bu hakimiyyətin tətbiq etdiyi bütün basqıların simvoludur