Key Takeaways:
- The protest started after Mahsa Amini was arrested and allegedly killed by Iran's morality police.
- ‘448 people have been killed and 18,000 imprisoned in Iran since the protest began.’
LAGOS (CoinChapter.com) — Iran has continued to disregard women’s rights and in a new development proposed to freeze the bank accounts of women caught not wearing or wearing the hijab inappropriately.
In detail, Iranian lawmaker and member of the Islamic Council of Iran Commission on Culture Hossein Jalali disclosed that the government plans to impose new punishments on women who do not wear a hijab in public.
The proposal comes after months of protest in the country following Mahsa Amini’s death on Sept. 16. Amini was arrested and killed by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly and wearing skinny jeans. According to her family, Amini was beaten and her head struck several times.
However, the government and police have denied the accusations, claiming her death was due to an “underlying disease”. Amini’s death triggered the biggest protests ever witnessed in the country. Women in the country have burnt their hijabs and others have cut off their hair demanding justice for Amini. In fact, Iranians of all ages, ethnicities and genders have joined in the demonstrations denouncing the current oppressive administration.
Jalali noted that the proposed measure will help stop the current protests and Iranian women will start wearing hijabs properly. He indicated that initial defaulters would be sent an SMS urging them to respect the law and wear a hijab.
However, if they persist to ignore the “warning phase” their bank account will be frozen. Jalali stated that there is no need to resort to arrests in case of hijab violations.
Crypto Can Help Iranians Evade Sanctions
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that cryptocurrency can help the protesters evade the proposed punishment, allowing them to get justice for Amini and secure their freedom.
Notably, the crypto industry as a result of its anonymity and decentralized feature can provide the protesters with other alternatives to access funds if their bank accounts get frozen. Recall that similar actions taken by governments in the past have forced the country’s citizens to turn to crypto.
Notably, earlier this truckers in Canada adopted Bitcoin as an alternative way to raise funds after the country’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clamped down on them. The truckers who were protesting Canada’s new COVID-19 regulations embraced crypto to raise funds to achieve their demand
Hijab ‘Part Of The Regime’s DNA’
The violent clampdown on women in Iran has resulted in global condemnation from the international community. A human rights organization reported that since the protests began in September, at least 448 people have been killed and 18,000 imprisoned.
The protesting women are demanding justice for Amini and for a revision of obligations for women to wear the hijab. However, experts have noted that the Iranian regime cannot go back on the decision to make headscarves mandatory for women. It is worth noting that the law for women to mandatory wear a hijab was first enforced in 1983.
David Rigoulet-Roze, researcher and Middle East specialist at France’s Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques (IRIS) explained that Iran views hijab as an important symbol and the current defiance will bring more harsh reprisals including freezing defaulters’ bank accounts.
“If it did so, it would be as if it were denouncing itself. The hijab is part of its DNA. From this perspective, the regime cannot be reformed, because it cannot change its very identity.”
Rigoulet-Roze said.
The United States and Germany have condemned the clampdown saying they’ve seen “no improvement” in conditions for Iranian women. Similarly, the European Union slapped sanctions on Iran over its deadly crackdown in November. It also targeted 29 individuals and three entities with asset freezes and travel bans.
Iran is already one of the most sanctioned countries in the world. Exports of many goods, such as certain medicines and airplane parts, are blocked, while the country is frozen out of the world banking system.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Blames US For Protest
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the United States and Israel of fuelling the protests. Speaking to a cadre of police students in Tehran, Khamenei described the protests as a foreign plot to destabilize Iran, fingering the US as the main perpetrator.
“This rioting was planned. These riots and insecurities were designed by America and the Zionist regime, and their employees.”
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also accused President Joe Biden of “inciting chaos” after he expressed support for the protesters. He described Biden as “the Great Satan” who is inciting chaos, terror, and the destruction of another country.
