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On September 16, 2022, Jina Mahsa Amini, 22, died in Tehran after being arrested because some strands of hair appeared from under her headscarf. Her death sparked feminist protests that continue to this day. Blick looks back on a year of ‘Frau Leben Freiheit’ with Swiss-based Iranian activists Romina Karimi (38) and Shahrzad Antenna (42) from the organization Free Iran Switzerland.
They have organized a major festival this weekend to commemorate the anniversary of Amini’s death and the start of the feminist protests. What do you hope to achieve with it?
Shahrzad antenna: With the demonstration on the anniversary of Jina Mahsa Amini’s death, we want to put pressure on the Swiss government to take a clear position. We also want to make the Swiss population aware of the situation in Iran.
documentary
“’Woman, life, freedom!’ – A year of protests in Iran”, by Majed Neisi
In three chapters, this documentary tells the story of young people who took to the streets in Iran after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini. From more than 100 hours of verified film material, director Majed Neisi reconstructs their stories – and also how the regime tortured and murdered some of them. Family members and activists, some of whom live in exile, speak. The original title of the film is “Inside the Iranian Uprising” – it also gets under your skin and is an impressive contemporary testimony to the courage of Iranian women and their allies. On display at SRF.
Podcast
“The Iran Update”
First, Iran experts Gilda Sahebi and Sahar Eslah commented on the protests following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, mainly through social media. But soon a weekly podcast emerged in which they discuss what is happening around the protests in Iran, classify the events and discuss the voices of other experts and journalists. All episodes are available here or in the usual podcast apps.
Non-fiction books
Gilda Sahebi, “Our Sword is Love”, S. Fischer, 2023
The title of the book comes from an Iranian rap song. Gilda Sahebi writes that this is the core of the protests: that people know what they are fighting for. The author and journalist analyzes the current protests and how the regime has been oppressing the Iranian people for years. She also processes her own childhood memories and interviews activists and experts. It sheds light on, among other things, the Kurdish resistance, sexual violence and life in exile. More about that here.
Düzen Tekkal and Natalie Amiri, “The courageous women of Iran”, Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag, 2023
The two journalists invited fifteen women in Iran and in exile to talk about their lives. Among them are artists, lawyers, judges, authors and chess masters. One of the women smuggled texts from the infamous Ewin prison, others know that even abroad they are not safe from the regime if they raise their voices. They talk about encounters with the moral police, experiences with violence and difficult economic circumstances. But they also talk about hope and the will to fight for a better future. More about that here. (here)
documentary
“’Woman, life, freedom!’ – A year of protests in Iran”, by Majed Neisi
In three chapters, this documentary tells the story of young people who took to the streets in Iran after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini. From more than 100 hours of verified film material, director Majed Neisi reconstructs their stories – and also how the regime tortured and murdered some of them. Family members and activists, some of whom live in exile, speak. The original title of the film is “Inside the Iranian Uprising” – it also gets under your skin and is an impressive contemporary testimony to the courage of Iranian women and their allies. On display at SRF.
Podcast
“The Iran Update”
First, Iran experts Gilda Sahebi and Sahar Eslah commented on the protests following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, mainly through social media. But soon a weekly podcast emerged in which they discuss what is happening around the protests in Iran, classify the events and discuss the voices of other experts and journalists. All episodes are available here or in the usual podcast apps.
Non-fiction books
Gilda Sahebi, “Our Sword is Love”, S. Fischer, 2023
The title of the book comes from an Iranian rap song. Gilda Sahebi writes that this is the core of the protests: that people know what they are fighting for. The author and journalist analyzes the current protests and how the regime has been oppressing the Iranian people for years. She also processes her own childhood memories and interviews activists and experts. It sheds light on, among other things, the Kurdish resistance, sexual violence and life in exile. More about that here.
Düzen Tekkal and Natalie Amiri, “The courageous women of Iran”, Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag, 2023
The two journalists invited fifteen women in Iran and in exile to talk about their lives. Among them are artists, lawyers, judges, authors and chess masters. One of the women smuggled texts from the infamous Ewin prison, others know that even abroad they are not safe from the regime if they raise their voices. They talk about encounters with the moral police, experiences with violence and difficult economic circumstances. But they also talk about hope and the will to fight for a better future. More about that here. (here)
Is it dangerous for you to organize rallies against the Iranian regime in Switzerland?
Antenna: Initially, people at the gatherings hid their faces behind face masks. But since then, people have become more fearless. We in Switzerland are relatively safe, even though the Islamic government threatens to locate the relatives in Iran and then vicariously threaten them. That’s why I spoke to my relatives in Iran. They encouraged me to be their voice in Switzerland.
How are the Iranian people in Switzerland doing?
Antenna: The protests connected people in the Iranian diaspora in Switzerland. A community was created that previously did not exist in this form.
Romina Karimi: It’s emotionally exhausting. We feel a strong sense of uncertainty about how much more violence will come from the regime until it is overthrown.
What do you want from the Swiss people?
Antenna: That she informs herself about Iran to understand why this freedom movement is taking off and why its success is so important. We would also like to see as many non-Iranians as possible participating in the demonstrations, because this is the only way we can show the Swiss government that the Swiss people are interested in supporting the Iranian people.
Karimi: People fighting for their freedom and human rights should not be ignored. Every person can do something to make the world a better place for everyone.
What are you worried about?
Antenna: I am concerned about the violence that the regime is committing against its own people. And that Western politicians only pay lip service and do not actively take action against the regime.
Karimi: What concerns me are the suspensions. The regime is trying to use this to silence the Iranian people.
What makes you hopeful?
Antenna: Although the obstacles to the overthrow of this regime seem insurmountable, the freedom movement is still going strong after a year. This shows that the revolution has already taken place in the minds of the people. There is no way back.
Karimi: We do not want to create anything new, but rather go back to our roots and revive the image of the courageous and independent Iranian woman.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
