The unceasing activity of the Iranian people, headed by women, especially the young generation and high school students, has completed its second month after the murder of the 22-year old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the so-called morality police. This extraordinary mass movement is now bearing its fruits in the form of the organising of the masses. We are here presenting two documents, one from the school system, where teachers and students are among the most active actors of the uprising, the other one from among the mothers of the youth for our readers to get a taste of the orientation of the movement.
RedMed
Woman, Life, Freedom
"Schools are the secure place of freedom, science, and truth."
We are going through turbulent days. What happened to our dear Mahsa Amini has hurt the heart of the entire country. The moral police arrested a teenager because of the compulsory hijab law, and her dead body was handed over to his parents. Therefore, her Peers, sympathizers, and all those angry about this blatant oppression have come to yell out their anger. Obviously, this uproar does not intend to stop. Although more than one month has passed since the beginning of nationwide protests in Iran, we still witness its increase in schools, universities, and streets daily.
Today, the students who were the audience of your superstitious and baseless teachings system for many years are taking off their hijab and shouting "Woman, Life, Freedom" along with the other protestors. You must have seen the videos of the students who, in response to the street interrogation by the security forces, consider themselves the students of the "School of Freedom" with their usual wit and vitality. These are Students whose names are Mahsa, Nika ,Sarina and Hadith.
This generation has been raised against everything that is decayed and irrational. Yet, the vitality of these teenagers has breathed new life into belief and hope. And it is the hope for a bright future that makes students determined to question. They want nothing but freedom!
However, your answer is brutal repression. Today, school has become an insecure place for the children of this land. They are body searched, threatened, and humiliated. They are forcibly taken for government-managed programs. The government punishes the opposing students and sends them to psychological training centers. When security agents assault women in daylight in front of thousands of people, we worry about what is happening behind the scenes in detention centers. We witnessed how our teenage student lost his dear life under your government's punishments in Ardabil. You are the ones who shamelessly threaten our children by pulling their nails and tearing their mouths with intelligence forces in front of society.
One of the desirable characteristics of children is that they ask simple but complex questions and never listen to anything else until they get their answer. Be aware that you are facing exactly such a generation. As parents of students, we warn that you and your thoughts no longer have a place in the minds and future of our children. You are directly responsible for this situation.
We warn you to apologize to all students and teachers who asked for nothing but freedom as soon as possible. As quickly as possible, release all the political prisoners, students, and women of this land you have locked up under the pretext of maintaining security; Keep in your mind and know that we, the parents of the students, will stand with our children. We will not allow you to violate our children's rights anymore.
We warn you right now, and at this very moment, as a government, you must empty the educational environments of all elements of repression, threats, and ideological, political, and security intimidation. You must provide our children at least with the minimum standards of free science education. You must provide an environment that offers free and equal education where they can question their doubt and have freedom of thought and expression: an education in which the children of this land are not treated like the supernumerary actors of government policies. Otherwise, we do not send our children to school. We ask all vigilant parents and students to join us.
The Association of Progressive Mothers