The Iranian protests began after a 22-year-old woman died at the hands of the country’s morality police after being suspected of violating laws requiring women to wear a headscarf.
A Swedish member of the European Parliament who cut off her ponytail during a speech in solidarity with Iranian women criticized “old, exhausted” world leaders for “not taking a stand” in their support.
Abir Al-Sahlani, who was born in Iraq, cut off strands of her hair before speaking before the EU assembly in Strasbourg about the mistreatment of women in Iran.
It followed countrywide protests in the Middle Eastern nation, which included many women and girls, after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in the custody of the morality police last month.
She had been imprisoned in Tehran on suspicion of violating Iran’s strict Islamic dress code. Miss Amini was charged with violating regulations requiring women to wear a hijab.
And after the news of Miss Amini’s death broke, women from around the world have taken to social media in recent weeks to share videos of their hair-cutting.
Ms. Al-Sahlani urged world leaders to demonstrate greater support for the protestors.
She stated, “Our leaders throughout the world, particularly in the democratic free world lack this fortitude. the opposite [opposite] They are mumbling while releasing press releases. And I’m so fed up with these old, jaded politicians who refuse to stand up for what is righteous.
“The Iranian ladies want their independence, and now is the time to act and express solidarity.”
She said, “I am confident that history will be altered either by force or by our hair-cutting.”
Earlier, Ms. Al-Sahlani declared during her EU speech: “Until Iran is liberated, our rage will exceed that of the oppressors.
We will stand with you until the Iranian women are liberated.
She concluded her speech by declaring “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi,” which is Kurdish for “Woman, Life, Freedom,” as she cut off her ponytail and raised it.
The Iranian government mandates that women cover their hair entirely with the hijab.
Miss Amini fell and died at a police station three days after being booked for reportedly wearing a shirt that was too loose.
The Iranian police assert that she died of a heart attack and was not abused, but her family disputes these claims.
Thousands of women around the globe have begun cutting their hair, a trend that has now spread to celebrities, politicians, and activists.
Participating French actresses include Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, and Isabelle Huppert.
Binoche, 58, who has acted in films including The English Patient, Chocolat, and Godzilla, was captured on video chopping off a handful of her hair and proclaiming, “For freedom.”
In the video provided by soutienfemmesiran (Support for Iranian Women), the following text is displayed: “The assault of Mahsa Amini by the morality police culminated in her demise.
“She was just charged with improperly wearing her veil.
She died because a few strands of her hair were uncovered.
Last week, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe shaved her head in favor of Iranian women.
The British-Iranian citizen, who was imprisoned for six years in Iran, shot a video of herself cutting her hair with scissors.
On Monday, the foreign secretary announced that he had instructed the Foreign Office to call Mehdi Hosseini Matin, the most senior Iranian diplomat in the United Kingdom.
James Cleverly commented: “The Iranian security forces’ violence on protesters is genuinely disturbing.
Instead of blaming external actors for the disturbance, the Iranian authorities should accept responsibility for their actions and listen to the concerns of their people, as we have made plain to them today.
We will continue to work with our allies to hold the Iranian government accountable for its blatant breaches of human rights.
