Fierce Femininity and Feminism: The Struggle Continues

Fierce Femininity and Feminism: The struggle continues.

The misogynistic male zealots of the Iranian establishment continue to bear down on the young women who do not want a lot, other than to choose whether to wear the head scarf or the hijab. Four young men who supported the struggle were executed on the bazaar charges of “enmity against god” and “corruption on earth”. Over 500 young women and men have been murdered by the Iranian regime, girls’ schools are being gassed and the regime is enhancing its surveillance not to catch criminals but to catch girls and women who are not wearing the hijab. Even after this Godly brutality, the regime is unrepentant and has made clear that they will enforce the” divine decree” and “chastity” of wearing the hijab and women who do not comply will be hunted down and persecuted without mercy. The United Nations has concluded since the start of protests over the murder of Masha Amini by the morality police, the Iranian religious fundamentalist authorities have systematically been engaged in crimes against humanity, which include the beating of children to death. Female journalists have been arrested for simply reporting the facts. Though street protests have been reduced by the brutality of the security forces, online, resistance continues with girls uploading parties where they are dancing and removing their hijabs.

There is no worldwide movement to support these young women, particularly within hajib wearing Muslim community. Many of these women say they wear the hajib by choice, not imposed by a patriarchal religious fundamentalist hierarchy.  Tell that to the girls dying in Iran. Well, if they believe that is it a choice, is it not incumbent on all hijab-wearing Muslim women to support the choice that some young women in Iran have made? I do not expect all Muslim women to put themselves above the parapet, especially those who reside in misogynistic religious patriarchs but at the very least I do expect to see the sisterhood in liberal democracies where you do have freedom of expression, to come out and support those young women In Iran fighting for that very same very basic human right, choice.

This crack-down will continue and will be consolidated by China’s new coalition of authoritarian states based on the principle, that you can do anything to anyone in your country, as long as you respect or a least do not criticise, what we do and to whom in ours.

We in the liberal West no longer have the economic or political power nor the will, to impose our democratic values on countries violating basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and gender equality in places. This is not made any easier especially when on President Biden’s first overseas foray, his first act was to fist bump the Saudi Crown Prince and executioner, MBS.

I am a male but believe me when I watch this open violent misogyny as seen in Iran, it’s embarrassing to be a man and I would not be surprised if God the man, is also. If God made man in his image, he certainly cocked up, however, it is more likely that man made God in his.

Let me know what you think in the comments below 👇

Suneil Sharma

April 20th 2023