Iranian-American writer Azar Nafisi (CRF 2018) recently wrote an essay for the Guardian about the protests currently happening in Iran in response to the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for failing to wear her hijab correctly.

“One of the things that impresses me about the young demonstrators today is that, unlike my generation, they are not ideological. They are not partisan. They are saying: we want life and freedom and a decent living. They’re asking for unity. For Iranian women, this movement is existential. It is saying: we can no longer tolerate this imposition upon who we are. And that is why the regime cannot win. They can destroy political organisations, but what are they going to do with the thousands upon thousands who are coming onto the streets refusing to wear their veils?”

Read the full piece here.

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