Mahsa Amini’s Mother Decries Authorities For Blocking Prize Trip

Mohammadi, a human rights activist currently incarcerated, was absent from the ceremony, with her family accepting the award on her behalf.

The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony on Sunday coincided with Human Rights Day. On October 6, as announced by the Nobel Committee, Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023 "due to her struggle against injustice towards Iranian women and her efforts to advance human rights and freedom for all."

In the absence of the imprisoned human rights activist, the prize was received by her husband, Taqi Rahmani, and their twin children, Kiana and Ali.

In a pre-ceremony interview with Iran International, Ali Rahmani stated that his mother, who is currently in prison, should have been present at the award ceremony. He and his sister, Kiana, aim to represent their mother's voice.

Kiana also expressed admiration for individuals of similar age “who took to the streets and sacrificed their lives for the cause.” She emphasized that the Nobel Peace Prize is not only for her mother but also for all Iranian women.

Narges Mohammadi, born in 1972 in Zanjan, holds a degree in applied physics. She commenced civil and political activities during her university years. Over the years, she has received several international awards, including the Sakharov Prize from the American Physical Society in 2018, the International Press Freedom Award in 2016, and the Alexander Langer Award in 2009.

In recent years, Mohammadi has faced multiple arrests, trials, and many years in prison for her human rights activities. She was last arrested in 2021 and has been in Evin Prison since then.

Twelve versions of Islamic surgical gowns have been designed for female patients in the operating room to comply with Sharia rules, announced Mohammad-Hossein Taheri-Akerdi, the secretary of a state body responsible for promotion of Islamic standards, whose main concern has always been promotion of hijab.

Taheri-Akerdi said Tuesday that the standard clothing currently worn by patients in hospitals violates women’s “dignity” and responsible government bodies have been instructed to identify the standards of religiously required and forbidden aspects in respect to “hijab and chastity” in hospital environments.

The entity that Taheri-Akerdi represents is a state-funded organization with a budget of 1.25 trillion rials (around $2.5m) in the current fiscal year, with an increase of 125 percent compared to the previous year. An even higher budget is expected to be allocated to the organization for the next year.

Not only those who oppose the compulsory hijab, but also many religious people are against the various measures that religious fundamentalists are employing to enforce the hijab rules. 

“One feels like standing in front of a hidden camera and waiting for someone to say that this [situation] is just a joke, but no, these are Taheri-Akerdi’s exact words,” a commentary by Mostafa Danandeh a regular contributor to the conservative Asr-e Iran news website said. 

“I don't know how upsetting the reading of these news must be for patients and their families who are dealing with the problems of finding their medication, hospital admission and its costs these days. They see that there are people in this country who are looking for Islamic surgical clothes instead of worrying about availability of medicine and the conditions of hospitals,” he wrote.

He added that he thinks the entity that seriously needs reform is the same organization that needlessly tries to impose obscure religious standards and trying to anger people with its decisions.

Some clerics and Islamic scholars such as Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad-Ali Ayazi, a member of a reformist clerical association in Qom, have also criticized the demand for Islamification of hospital gowns.

In an interview with Salamat News (Health News) Thursday, Ayazi criticized fundamentalists and said from the religious point of view demanding Islamic hospital gowns to be designed is a matter of minimal importance when both doctors and patients must deal with such serious problems as shortages of medicine and equipment.

Some media and social media users have pointed out that there may be a hidden agenda in the official’s declaration about unsuitability of current hospital gowns and need for designing Islamic ones.

“But the point that has not been paid much attention to is this story’s economic aspect like the open and hidden financial dimensions of government measures in regard to hijab clothing … and in whose pockets the profits find their way?” a commentary in Faraz Daily, a news website, wrote Saturday.

Faraz Daily mentioned in its article that there are no official data on the market turnover of hijab clothing such as fabric for making the long black veils, called chador in Persian, that is largely imported.

The article also pointed out that the secretary of the Cultural Council said in September 2022 that the black veil was “an essential commodity” and said the government must encourage importing fabrics for the veils by lowering import tariffs. In addition, when a commodity is listed as essential, importers can receive foreign currency from the government at preferential lower rates. This practice has been a major source of corruption in recent years.

A black veil made with imported fabric can cost as high as 20m rials ($400), with the cheapest ones made with domestically produced fabric costing around one-third of that.

In a press conference held in Oslo, Mohammadi's children expressed immense pride in her unwavering advocacy for women's rights as they prepared to accept the prestigious award on her behalf.

The 17-year-old twins, residing in Paris, are scheduled to receive the honor at Oslo's City Hall and deliver the Nobel Peace Prize lecture om their mother's behalf. In a letter sent from prison, Mohammadi reaffirmed her commitment to the cause of human rights, even in the face of potential death, expressing that she missed her children the most.

Kiana Rahmani, who last saw her mother eight years ago, expressed a pessimistic outlook on the prospect of a reunion, stating, "Maybe I'll see her in 30 or 40 years, but I think I won't see her again." She emphasized that despite this, her mother's legacy would endure in her heart and within their family.

Mohammadi, 51, earned the Nobel Peace Prize on October 6, a symbolic rebuke to Tehran's theocratic leadership, which subsequently condemned the award.

In her message from prison, Mohammadi acknowledged imprisoned journalists and emphasized, "In the darkness cast over information and the people of Iran, despite the shutdown of media outlets, our activism persists."

Speaking about the detention of over 100 journalists during the Women, Life, Freedom movement, she highlighted that in the past 20 years, at least 200 newspapers have been shut down, and 800 journalists have been detained.

Mohammadi addressed journalists, stating, "Independent media are our best allies in the fight against the destructive policies of the Islamic Republic."

In a Saturday ceremony in Tehran, Abdolhossein Khosropanah, the secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, made the startling claim saying the statistic is the highest rate of violence against women in the US.

However, notable for his assertion was the absence of any source or evidence to support the claims. Khosropanah went on to state, "Human rights have been restricted to propaganda games," dismissing criticism of Iran's own violations.

His comments come in the wake of a recent UN General Assembly committee resolution that criticized Iran for various human rights violations, including discrimination against and harassment of women and girls. The resolution, initially introduced by Canada, condemned the Iranian regime's misogynistic policies and practices, urging Tehran to cease its discrimination against women.

Despite international criticism, the Iranian regime has continued to tighten legislation, particularly targeting hijab and 'chastity' laws. The crackdown coincides with a growing number of women in Iran rejecting the mandatory headscarf and restrictions on their public appearance. Surveillance has intensified, and recent tragic incidents, such as the death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, echo the concerns raised by the Women, Life, Freedom movement, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini last year while in morality police custody.

Iran's MeToo movement has been active in shedding light on systemic sexual abuse within the country's legal system, with women facing constant threats of sexual violence both on the streets and in prison. 

Hamedi took legal action, accusing the notorious judge of refusing to release her after a year of temporary detention. Salavati usually presides over cases against dissidents and journalists, issuing harsh sentences.

Hamedi, became famous and was arrested after she broke the news of the tragic incident involving the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini from head injuries, remains in custody alongside her colleague, Elahe Mohammadi, for over a year. Mohammadi was detained while covering Amini's funeral in Saqqez cemetery, Kordestan province.

Both Hamadi and Mohammadi, former correspondents for Iran's prestigious reformist newspaper, Shargh, and Ham-Mihan, respectively, have emerged as symbols of protest following Amini's death.

Expressing uncertainty about the status of the complaint, Hamadi's husband, Mohammad Hossein Ajorlou, stated, "We have no information about the consideration of the complaint, but Niloufar's illegal temporary detention continues after 444 days."

Despite widespread calls in Iran and abroad for freedom of expression and the release of the journalists, the Iranian judiciary exhibits reluctance in issuing bail and temporary release orders.

Iran continues to maintain a dismal ranking among the world's least free countries for press freedom. The situation has worsened since the initiation of the Women, Life, Freedom movement last year, resulting in numerous journalists being arrested and imprisoned.