As the protests against Mahsa Amini’s death intensified in Iran, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai took to Twitter seeking justice for the 22-year-woman who died allegedly owing to police brutality.
Yousafzai tweeted, “Whatever a woman chooses to wear, she has the right to decide for herself. As I have said before: If someone forces me to cover my head, I will protest. If someone forces me to remove my scarf, I will protest. I am calling for justice for #MahsaAmini.”
The education and woman’s rights activist had also spoken up when the hijab row had broken out in Karnataka in February. “College is forcing us to choose between studies and the hijab”. Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying. Objectification of women persists — for wearing less or more. Indian leaders must stop the marginalisation of Muslim women” she had tweeted.
Meanwhile, the official death toll in the country rose to 35 after security forces and demonstrators clashed on the streets of Iran’s major cities.
On Saturday, the protests entered its eight day that were triggered following the death of 22-year-old Amini who was detained on 13 September by the “morality police” after officers apparently found fault with her headscarf, or hijab.
The Kurdish woman was pronounced dead after spending three days in a coma following the arrest.
Whatever a woman chooses to wear, she has the right to decide for herself.
As I have said before: If someone forces me to cover my head, I will protest. If someone forces me to remove my scarf, I will protest.
I am calling for justice for #MahsaAmini. https://t.co/Vi7jVqUHzf
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) September 23, 2022
