On Sept. 14, 2022, Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s “morality police” for wearing her head covering, known as “hijab,” incorrectly. While in custody, Amini was viciously beaten by the police. She was brought to a hospital and remained in a coma until her death on Sept. 16.
“Gašt-e eršad” which literally translates to “guidance patrol,” but is more commonly known as the “morality police,” is a specialized task force within the Iranian police, whose aim is to enforce the laws of Islamic dress codes. For women, this means they must wear a hijab and loose-fitting clothing. Many Muslim women across the globe opt to cover their hair and dress modestly as a sign of respect for their faith. However, the Iranian government has utilized the hijab as a tool of oppression against women. The Islamic Revolution, in which the royal dynasty was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic government, took place in Iran in 1979. Since then, dress codes have become progressively stricter and hijabs have become mandatory for all women, including non-Muslims. Those who speak out against the mandate face severe retaliation from the morality police.
There have been many rebellions against this discrimination, but Amini’s death has sparked an unprecedented reaction. Civil unrest has spread throughout the country at an alarming rate. Online footage shows women burning their hijabs and publicly cutting their hair in defiance of the modesty laws. The police and government are reacting to the protests with brutal violence. An estimated 300 people have been killed, and upward of 1,000 have been arrested by Iranian authorities over the course of the protests. Despite the risks, the Iranian women continue to demand that their voices be heard and that the government repeal the strict laws that led to Amini’s death.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / 照片:維基共享資源提供
西元2022年9月14日,瑪莎艾米尼因以不正確的方式佩戴被稱作穆斯林婦女頭巾的頭飾,而被伊朗的「道德警察」逮捕。在拘留期間,艾米尼遭到警方的毒打。她被送往醫院,而且直到她於9月16日離世前都持續處於昏迷狀態。
「Gašt-e eršad」,字面上的意思是「指導巡邏隊」,但更常被稱為「道德警察」,是伊朗警備中的一支專業的特遣部隊,其目的是執行伊斯蘭的穿著規範。對於女性來說,這意味著她們必須佩戴頭巾與穿著寬鬆的衣服。全球許多穆斯林婦女選擇包住她們的頭髮還有以端莊的穿著表示對她們信仰的敬重。然而,伊朗政府卻將頭巾作為壓迫女性的工具。西元1979年伊朗爆發的伊斯蘭革命推翻了王朝,並由一個伊斯蘭政府取而代之。從那時起,穿著規範變得越來越嚴格,所有女性都必須佩戴頭巾,包含非穆斯林女性。公開反對這項法令的人都會面臨道德警察強烈的報復。
伊朗一直都有許多對於這項歧視法令的抗爭,但艾米尼的離世引起了前所未有的反響。內亂以驚人的速度蔓延至全國各地。網路上的影片片段出現婦女焚燒她們的頭巾,並公開剪髮以對抗穿著法令的畫面。警方和政府持續以殘酷的暴行鎮壓抗議活動。在抗爭過程中,估計有三百人喪生,並有超過一千人被伊朗當局逮捕。儘管存在風險,伊朗的婦女持續要求政府傾聽她們的聲音,並要求政府廢除導致艾米尼死亡的峻法。
MORE INFORMATION
hijab n.(穆斯林女性的)頭巾
coma n. 昏迷(狀態)
task force 特遣部隊;特勤小組
Islamic adj. 伊斯蘭教的;伊斯蘭國家的
oppression n. 壓迫;壓制
retaliation n. 報復;反擊
unrest n. 動亂;動盪
footage n. 一段影片;(事件的)片段
upward of 至少;超過
repeal vt. 廢除;撤銷(法令)
KEY VOCABULARY
1. uprising n. 起義;暴動
The people started an uprising because they were unhappy with the corrupt government.
由於人民不滿貪腐的政府,因此發起了暴動。
2. patrol n. 巡邏;巡查
The police officer was on patrol when he saw someone breaking into a house.
這位員警在巡邏時看到有人闖入一間房屋。
3. mandatory adj. 強制的;義務的 mandate n. 命令;授權
It’s mandatory that you wear a swimming cap if you use these public hot springs.
你如果要在這些大眾溫泉泡湯,就一定要戴上泳帽。
4. speak out in favor of/against 公開表態支持/反對
The country’s intellectuals were criticized for their failure to speak out against the brutal regime.
這個國家的知識份子因未能公開反對殘暴的政權而遭受批評。
5. rebellion n. 反抗;叛亂
A rebellion against the dictator received full support from the people.
反抗獨裁者的行動得到了人民的全力支持。
6. spark vt. 觸發;導致
Marianne’s careless remark sparked a huge argument between her and her husband.
瑪麗安不經意的言論引起她和她先生之間激烈的爭吵。
7. unprecedented adj. 史無前例的;絕無僅有的
The amount of snow this year is unprecedented! We’ve never had that much snow in this area before.
今年的下雪量前所未見!我們這個地區過去從未有過那麼多的雪。
8. defiance n. 違抗;對立 in defiance of 無視;公然違抗
The female students all wore pants in defiance of the unfair uniform rules. 這群女學生們
全穿上長褲,無視不公平的制服規定。
9. over the course of 在……期間;在……過程中
Hank studies English and over the course of the last year, he has improved a lot.
漢克在學英語,而在過去的一年裡,他進步了很多。
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