THIS book provides a window into the current condition of Iran through a timely and in-depth study of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising that rocked Iran in the months after the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in suspicious circumstances after being held in custody by the Morality Police in September 2022.
Khosrokhavar demonstrates that, although the Mahsa Movement, as he calls it, failed politically to overthrow the Islamic Republic (because of a lack of leadership and organisation and brutal suppression by the regime), it has, none the less, exposed the profound cultural gap that exists between Iranian society and its repressive overlords. There is a repetitiveness about the book which some might find irritating. Phrases and ideas recur over and again, in effect, hammering home the central messages.
Led by young women (soon joined by their male counterparts), this youthful feminist movement marked the end of attempts to reform from within, indicating, instead, a wholehearted rejection of the regime’s very ideology: a rebuttal of the patriotic and theocratic version of Shiism, with its emphasis on death, martyrdom, and grief, which has become increasingly inflexible and vicious, in favour of a secular culture of “joie de vivre”, exuberant enjoyment of life, and demanding bodily and political freedom, improved economic conditions, and better relationships with the West.
While it is true that most Iranians are disillusioned with the version of Islam which they have experienced over the past 45 years, and are longing for democracy over dictatorship, there is no mention in this book of the inherently spiritual nature of many who are exploring different faith traditions, nor of the underground church movement, also violently suppressed.
AlamyMahsa Amini, aged 22, whose death sparked a protest movement against Shia theocratic rule in Iran
In parts, this is a shocking and difficult read, as the extent of brutality intrinsic to the Islamic Republic is revealed through appalling accounts of intimidation, arrests, torture, and executions. One cannot help but be moved by the brief biographies and stories of courageous resistance. Driven by a deep sense of a future blocked and the present worse than the past, the young people of Iran, it seems, especially women whose lives and rights are controlled pitilessly, have nothing to lose and therefore little to fear. They are no longer willing to accept what they perceive as the hypocrisy of their parents’ generation, who behave one way in public to conform with Islamic requirements while taking what meagre pickings they can in private, out of sight of the Revolutionary Guards who brutally patrol the streets.
Khosrokhavar identifies a range of economic, political, ethnic, social, and feminist motives at play in the actions of those who joined the Mahsa Movement, often supported by the diaspora community. All, however, are subsuming their individual demands, joining forces to overthrow the common enemy, hoping that, when the time comes, their particular interests will be addressed. There are echoes here of what happened in the 1979 Revolution, when diverse groups cooperated to overthrow the Shah, only to find no space for the fulfilment of their aspirations under the crushing weight of the Islamic Republic. Surely, there is a clear message and warning here.
The current regime is undoubtedly in its final death pangs, though how long they will last is impossible to tell. They have lost any moral authority or connection with the vast majority of Iranian people, and all their actions signal desperate attempts to survive another day. But when, eventually, they are overthrown, the outcome for the nation will depend on the quality of leadership and the ability of the people to work together for good. This challenge has long been part of the history of Iran. Pray God the future brings something better.
Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani is the Bishop of Chelmsford.
Revolt Against Theocracy: The Mahsa movement and the feminist uprising in Iran
Farhad Khosrokhavar
Polity £17.99
(978-1-5095-6450-7)
Church Times Bookshop £16.19
