The anti-government protest in Iran has now crossed national borders as it now has the support of celebrities from around the world. To show her solidarity with Iranian women amid anti-hijab protests, Turkish singer Melek Mosso cut her hair on stage during a music concert. In the video, which is now going viral on social media platforms, the audience can be heard cheering for the singer as she cuts her hair during the performance. Notably, this was not the first time Mosso had expanded her support for such revolutionary campaigns.
At a similar concert, Mosso, a well-known singer and women’s rights advocate, was taken off the stage for criticizing the release of a raping police officer in her own country. During the show, she remarked, “If you want to be open, open up, if you want to talk, talk. You don’t need nobody to tell you how to act, what to do and how to dress, girl. You have your own wings. You don’t have to be under anyone’s wing. fly.”
Protests in Iran erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the so-called “morality police” and claimed the woman was not wearing the hijab properly. Although police released a video showing Amini collapsing after fainting at the police station, protesters claimed she suffered serious injuries while in police custody. A relative said she had no history of heart disease. Tehran’s Kasra Hospital, where police took Amini after she collapsed and went into a coma, said she was admitted without vital signs. Since the death of the 22-year-old Kurd, a debate has flared up against the “moral police” in the Islamic Republic. Responding to the allegations of physical torture, the Tehran police commander said the allegations of harming the woman in custody were false, adding that the vice squad took every precaution to save her life.
Controversial hijab rule in Iran
During the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the headscarf became mandatory for women in Iran, and members of the vice squad enforce the strict dress code. The force has faced criticism in recent years for its treatment of people, particularly young women, and videos uploaded to social media showed officers forcing women into police vehicles. Authorities have taken tougher action since 2017, after dozens of women publicly removed their headscarves in a wave of protests. Despite protests, Iranian hardliners have called for harsh punishment and even flogging of women who flout the hijab law, arguing that allowing women to show their hair leads to moral decay and the breakdown of families.
