April 28, 2023 - Əlirza Quluncu (Alirza Quluncu)
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Vahid Qarabağlı |
"After the protests, we saw a broad politicization in Iranian society. Prior to that, those interested in politics were certain groups and classes; the elites, student activists, women activists, and ethnic activist groups. However, then the pressure from the regime increased. There were protests in all cities. The protests continued for months, and people talked about it. A new generation joined the protests. This further politicized Iranian society," Qarabağlı says.
He also highlights that there has been significant activism among Iranian diaspora communities, paralleling the situation within the country:
"People outside the country also talk on social media. They participate in protests and participate in the organization of these protests. In other words, there has been a revitalization within different communities and groups. For example, we saw a revitalization among Turks living in the diaspora. They organized actions and panels in different cities."
Recently, the Islamic Republic has begun implementing new projects to further control women's clothing. The government seals some workplaces and commercial sites in different provinces for non-compliance with dress codes. Iranian police identify female passengers who do not comply with dress codes through cameras located in different points of the cities and send them warning SMS messages.
According to Vahid Qarabağlı, while some officials began giving positive messages about the dress code during the days of intense protests, the government increased its pressure as the intensity of the protests decreased.
"The protests started very strong and flared up at one point. The government felt a lot of pressure from these protests and we witnessed some officials saying that we could actually grant some freedoms regarding the hijab issue. They started making some promises, albeit limited. But as the intensity of the protests decreased, they started talking about the importance of the hijab again. They said that the hijab is our red line," says Qarabağlı.
According to him, as resistance to mandatory hijab among women increases, the government also increases pressure:
"There is resistance among women in different cities. Women show resistance to mandatory hijab in different cities. They uncover their hair on the streets and in stores. The government also applies pressure against these. We actually see that the pressure from the government is increasing. For example, if women uncover their hair in a workplace, the government goes and punishes that workplace."
Original link to the interview: https://www.amerikaninsesi.org/a/7069934.html