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| Simin Sabri, psychiatrist and political activist |
In a conversation with Voice of America, political activist and psychiatrist Simin Sabri states that the Islamic Republic, unable to demonstrate its power in domestic and foreign politics as well as in the economy, is attempting to do so by exerting pressure on women.
According to Sabri, the Islamic Republic, through its "Hijab and Chastity" project, is promoting a policy that encourages people to turn against each other, especially calling for collaboration with the government against women.
Sabri explains, “To go to someone’s workplace, shut it down, and seal the shop means the state is pushing a mental crisis into the nation. It pits people against each other, like saying 'My barber shop is closed' or 'My clothing store is sealed because you entered without a hijab!' They set it up so tomorrow people themselves will say, 'Forbid entry without hijabs in this shop!'”
She adds, “This policy, which calls for people to collaborate against each other, is essentially asking people to collaborate against women. The government says, 'If women demand freedom, such as the freedom of dress, know that the consequences will affect you too, and you will need to cooperate with the government to manage the situation.' In the case of SMS warnings, they also set family members against each other. The person whose vehicle is banned has no way to express their anger at the state. Who does their frustration reach? It reaches, for example, their spouse, who is told, 'This happened because you didn’t follow the hijab.'”
Sabri also highlights the economic and political crises the Islamic Republic faces, noting that the government has no other means to demonstrate its power except through oppressing women.
She says, “Looking at the bigger picture, the Islamic Republic is unable to resolve many issues, from the economy to foreign and domestic policies. It cannot display its power anywhere because it cannot solve these problems. However, oppressing women and enforcing brutal violence is the only tool left for the government. And it applies it to women to say, 'I am here, and I am enforcing the Sharia laws!'”
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: İran höküməti qadına zülm etməklə öz gücünü nümayiş etdirməyə çalışır