University of Wisconsin students, staff and faculty were joined by community members for the Campus Rally for Iran Wednesday afternoon. Participants of the demonstration gathered on Library Mall, aiming to catch the attention of passersby.
The rally on the UW campus was one of many rallies occurring internationally. The Nov. 30 rallies were organized by the Iranian Scholars for Liberty following human rights violations by the Islamic Republic in Iran, according to a statement from the Iranian Scholars for Liberty.
Iranian Scholars for Liberty aims to amplify the voices of the people in Iran to the Iranian diaspora, according to the website.
UW alum, international journalist Jacob Kushner gives lecture
UW Persian Student Society member Borna Riazi said there had been an uptick in human rights violations in Iran following the murder of Mahsa (Jina) Amini.
“The main purpose [of the rally] is because of the turmoil and protests that are going on in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini for not wearing her hijab properly,” Riazi said. “Because of that, there’s this ongoing fight for basic human rights and, specifically, women’s rights in Iran.”
Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old detained in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 13, 2022 for not wearing a hijab in accordance with government standards. Following her detainment, Amini experienced a severe beating by the police and then fell into a coma, resulting in her death, according to the Iranian Scholars for Liberty.
As part of the rally, participants chanted in honor of Mahsa Amini. Participants also honored others who have been killed or reported missing in Iran through the collection of flowers and lighting of candles.
Participants repeated the phrase ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ — the slogan of the current revolution, which brings light to the mistreatment of women and minority groups in Iran, Riazi said.
Native American Heritage Month keynote speakers talk about Indigenous identities
Additionally, participants distributed informational materials to passersby to further spread awareness about the ongoing human rights violations in Iran.
Awareness can be brought to the ongoing mistreatment of women and minority groups in Iran in various ways. Social media can be a powerful tool for raising this awareness, according to Riazi.
“The main thing I would like to see is people sharing things on Instagram because in Iran, there’s a lot of censorship when it comes to [the] Internet and their social media,” Riazi said. “One of the things that people in the United States can do to help out is — if they have Iranian friends or they see posts about what’s going on in Iran — to just share, share, share.”
