EMU graduate student Neda Hayeri doesn't wear a hijab in the United States, but she is grateful the decision to do so is hers.
While in Iran, Hayeri was forced to wear the traditional headscarf. That lack of choice is what sparked weeks of violent protest in Iran -- mostly on behalf of women who are required by Iranian law to wear a hijab at all times.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died Sept. 16 after being arrested by Iran's morality police, who determined she was wearing her hijab incorrectly. Her death has caused an uproar worldwide, prompting people across the globe to chop off their hair and take to the streets in protest.
Hayeri said seeing women being beaten for not wearing the hijab is a common memory for many Iranian women. She said most Iranian women do not believe in forcing anyone to wear it.
Like Amini, Hayeri was arrested by the morality police for failing to wear her hijab correctly on two occasions. She said she never wears it properly.
"They insulted me and beat me and made me call my family to come and bring me some proper hijab stuff," Hayeri said. "Also, they had me sign a paper to promise I will wear hijab more properly after that, which I signed because I had to do that to be free. I've never worn hijab properly though."
Hayeri said most women in Iran wear their hijab in a way that exposes the front of their hair, but the government does not think that is the proper way, and wants women's hair to be fully covered by the hijab.
“The thing that’s so important for people to know is that this revolution is not Islam, it’s not against any religion, it’s just because of freedom," Hayeri said. "We need freedom, the freedom to choose: What do we want to wear; what do we want to have; what do we want to believe.”
Protestors are not just using their words for this cause, but actions as well, with a symbolistic act of chopping off a piece of hair.
Iran is a country with more than 3,000 years of history, where in the past, women would cut their hair when they were sad or missed someone they loved. Now, the act has taken a new meaning.
“Right now, this act is kind of a symbol that ‘you have a problem with our hair and we don’t want it, we just want to be free’,“ Hayeri said. “We don’t have any problem with our body, we don’t have any problem with our hair, but you want this hair, so we cut it and send it to you.”
This ongoing human rights issue is the current focal point of Iran's revolution, as the country's government comes under criticism from both in and outside its borders. The nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has sole authority over all Iranian government functions. Many citizens of Iran consider him a harsh dictator, and they want him gone.
“There are so many, so many people who work for Islamic Republic and for the government that exists in Iran; and they are just trying to say that it’s not because of the freedom, it’s just because of the economy and it’s just because of the sanction and nuclear deal and this kind of stuff, but it’s not true, it’s a huge lie,“ Hayeri said. “Please be our voice, please spread the word, spread the truth."
Women in Iran’s fight for freedom is not new, as the country has had demonstrations like this for many years.
“In 2009, we had this kind of stuff, at that time we were just trying to change something, trying to get some freedom, but it was just cracked down because they’re killing people, they’re arresting people,“ Hayeri said. “This one is a huge one, because all people, mostly young generations are in the street. They are screaming their right, they want freedom, they want to be free to choose everything that they want.”
Many students at universities across multiple cities in Iran have taken to the streets to protest about this issue.
“It’s so scary for me because I know what’s going on in those streets, I’ve been in the streets and I know how wild they are,” Hayeri said. “Those people are so wild. They have no mercy. They have no belief. They just kill people, rape people, kidnap people.”
Iranian government reports on the number of deaths during the nationwide protests are often questioned, with critics suggesting the actual tally is much larger. As the protests began, Iran shut down access to the internet for the entire country, blocking the ability for the rest of the world to see what is happening through social media reports.
“Last time that they shut down the internet, it was 2019 and I was in Iran at that time,“ Hayeri said. “I remember clearly what was going on. They killed 1,500 people in just one week.”
Some people still find ways to get a connection and are able to get a small number of videos and information to the public. On Sept. 30, a “bloody Friday“ of protests led to at least 80 deaths, recorded by Iranian rights group Amnesty International.
Hayeri wants Muslim women at EMU to know that the current movement is not against the hijab or against Islam, but simply a fight for the human right to choose.
“We are screaming, people are getting killed and beaten, just because they want the human right, the basic human right to choose anything that they want,” Hayeri said. “Be our voice, connect us to the world, talk about us, it’s for all humans' rights, it's for all women's rights, and we just need you to be our voice and help us to tell our story to the world.”