KUALA LUMPUR – Some 100 Iranians and Malaysian human rights activists gathered outside the Iranian embassy here this evening to hold a candlelight vigil over the death of Iranian 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, which has sparked widespread protests in the republic.
Under the watchful eye of some 30 police officers, the attendees spent about 40 minutes holding up placards and candles expressing solidarity for the slain young woman, as well as for women’s rights in general.
The gathering, which began at about 7pm outside the embassy complex near Jalan U Thant, saw a mix of anger and despair, with some mourners breaking down in tears as they chanted “women, life, freedom” and “We are all Mahsa”, while others shouted “Makbar (Death to) Khamenei”, in reference to the long-ruling Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
One Iranian female attendee, who only wished to be identified as Simin, was invited to sing a poignant Persian protest song, accompanied by a classical guitar.
“It (the song) is dedicated to people who are dying in the country. It’s about being brave and not being afraid of the forces, telling them to be united in fighting for freedom,” the 34-year-old refugee from Tehran told The Vibes when met at the gathering.
The vigil, organised by human rights group Suaram, came in the wake of widespread protests in Iran, following Mahsa’s death in custody after she was arrested by morality police for violating the ultra-conservative dress code that mandates women to wear the hijab.
The protests have led to several other deaths and hundreds of injuries as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards attempt to quell the movement calling for greater freedoms in the Middle Eastern nation.
According to Suaram, her death has sparked an outpouring of anger over the lack of freedom and body autonomy in Iran.
Suaram coordinator Wong Yan Ke said the backlash in Iran runs parallel with developments in Malaysia, especially concerning deaths in custody.
“This is because there are no checks and balances, so Suaram is taking up all these cases,” he told The Vibes.
“It is very disturbing to see a person who is so healthy dying after being beaten up by morality police. That’s why we are standing up.”
Wong also said it was important for Suaram, a Malaysian non-governmental organisation, to hold the gathering in line with Dr Martin Luther King’s infamous quote that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
He also said cases like Mahsa’s could potentially happen in Malaysia if moral policing is intensified.
Sisters in Islam executive director, Rozana Isa, echoed Wong’s remarks, saying that the persecution against women in Iran is “really uncalled for”.
“It’s all because of a piece of cloth on their heads and how much hair is being shown and revealed. That is very worrying because authorities see it justified to end the life of someone,” she said.
“We (women) are always judged against the morality of others. What we wear is always not good enough according to someone else’s opinion. What’s dangerous is that the people with power do something with voices and expressions that they don’t agree with.”
Asked whether she feared that similar incidences of custodial deaths in moral policing could occur in Malaysia, Rozana said this has been a long-standing concern.
“I think all of us have been worried about this for a long time. You see new rules and by-laws being implemented,” she said.
“You already see that happening in Kelantan and some of it happening in other states, even within Kuala Lumpur. It’s one thing that authorities are already doing it (moral policing), it’s another thing that the thinking seeps into society, which deems it right that they (authorities) do something about it.
“It impacts on women’s lives significantly as they are trolled on social media, they are attacked… especially when it involves a story of a successful woman. The first thing that comes out is ‘mana tudung?’ (‘where is your hijab?’)” – The Vibes, September 25, 2022
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