Furious protests against the ruling mullahs, the despised state police, and the “black crow” flock of old women prowling the streets as enforcers erupted last week. The reviled “Morality Police” were directly responsible for sparking off this spiraling conflict, by the arrest and brutalization of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested for the singular sin of wearing her required hijab “too loosely“- whatever that means.

To me, it means whatever these misogynist Neanderthal thugs want it to mean if they’re in a mood. I’m pretty sure there’s no intensive training program to chase women about the streets of Tehran, bullying and beating them for a hair escaping their mandatory head coverings.

…The hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women, has been mandatory in Iran since the 1979 revolution. The United Nations Human Rights Council says that Iran’s morality police have been cracking down on women they accuse of not wearing the hijab properly, the Associated Press reported.

According to the U.N. body, videos have surfaced showing women being hit with batons, thrown into police vans and slapped in the face for not completely covering their hair.

In an unsurprising development, people have had enough, especially the recipients of this unforgivable, 12th-century behavior.

The bravery and strength of Iran's women in one image ✌🏻 pic.twitter.com/F7NfJZFMo1

— Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert (@KMooreGilbert) September 24, 2022

The State Department condemned her “brutal death,” suppression of “peaceful protests,” and imposed sanctions on various regime figures associated with the morality police, the Basij para-militaries, etc.

The United States condemns the tragic and brutal death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died in the custody of the Iranian Morality Police after being detained for purportedly wearing a hijab too loosely. We mourn with her loved ones and with the Iranian people.

In response to this and other human rights violations in Iran—including the violent suppression of peaceful protests—the United States is imposing sanctions on Iran’s Morality Police and senior security officials who have engaged in serious human rights abuses, pursuant to Executive Order 13553. The Morality Police, an element of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), arrests women for wearing “inappropriate” hijab and enforces other restrictions on freedom of expression.

As of this morning, protests are growing across Iran, and becoming increasingly more violent, as the regime steps up its attempts to squelch things before they roar out of control…

…but that might not be possible this time. Even as the police are raiding houses during the day and hauling away people they believed they’d identified as being at protests the night before – thanks to videos – protestors are making themselves known and heard in courageous ways not seen before. Women are boldly walking the streets hijab free during the day, and protests, which usually breakout during afternoon and evening hours, are now being seen at all hours. The very first organized protest work stoppage was announced from the main teachers’ union in Tehran, encouraging other unions to join:

…A main teachers union, in a statement posted on social media on Sunday, called for teachers and students to stage the first national strike since the unrest began, on Monday and Wednesday.

It urged teachers, trade unions, military veterans and artists to “stand with pupils, students and people seeking justice in these difficult but hopeful days”.

Student uprising begins today in Iran ✊the brave teacher in this video is calling on his students to walkout until all the arrested classmates who are missing from their seats can join them once again. please take down all university and education websites #OpIran #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/3WQkFFY0cV

— Anonymous (@YourAnonOne2) September 26, 2022

Externally, the Iranians are facing a outraged global chorus. There have already been good size anti-Iranian regime protests, filled with ex-pat Iranian women demanding freedom for their sisters in bondage. There was a large one mid-week in Los Angeles…

…“It’s a matter of feminism. Everyone should understand that women are fighting for their freedom,” said Newsha, one of hundreds of protesters who gathered outside the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood on Wednesday night. She did not wish to be identified by her last name because she has family in Iran.

“They’re going down the street trying to protest, and they’re being shot down,” she said of people in Iran. “If you see the videos over there, they don’t care if you’re a woman or not; they don’t care if you have a hijab — they just want to crush you down.”

…another in Houston Sunday afternoon…

…A sea of people gathered and chanted, waving Iranian flags, seeking change, and calling for support from all local, state, and national leaders. The protesters want the world to talk about human rights abuses in that country.

…”Women of Iran, we want freedom too. We don’t want other people to tell us what to do, what to wear, where to go. We don’t want that. We want to have freedom. That’s why we’re here. We don’t want the Islamic Republic of Iran anymore,” Arezoo Daneshvar, a Houstonian, said.

They want change, and they want it now.

…even in Syria…

Hundreds of women protested in Kurdish-controlled northern Syria on Monday over the death of an Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of Iran’s morality police, with some cutting their hair and burning headscarves in an echo of demonstrations in Iran.

…and Norway.

From Oslo, Norway, to:
IRAN with love 🥹✌🏻#MahsaAmini #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/Yolp1Z6sJs

— Ali (@ali_009821) September 26, 2022

What the women of Iran are asking – and why they should be forced to chance injury and death to ask for these things is an abomination in itself – is what American feminists take so blithely for granted.

For Iran, for right of expression, for the very basic human rights, for freedom..#mahsaamini #OpIran #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/NX465ANbF6

— Atiya (@AtiyehKashefi) September 26, 2022

Checking Ilhan Omar’s Twitter feed…nothing. Rashida Tlaib, nope. Ayanna Pressley…nope. Just fangirling over being with other squad chicas.

Shout out to our Roxbury community for welcoming my Squad sisters @IlhanMN, @AOC, and @RashidaTlaib to the MA-7th & kicking off our canvass this morning! pic.twitter.com/vDe0WROijD

— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) September 24, 2022

AOC is the only one with a shout-out to the Iranian women…wrapped in an abortion ding. They are so totally the same, right?

Solidarity with the courageous women and allies in Iran protesting for their freedom.

Mahsa Amini was senselessly murdered by the same patriarchal and autocratic forces repressing women the world over.

The right to choose belongs to us all, from hijabs to reproductive care.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 23, 2022

What a brain-dead, pathetic narcissist she is.

Susan Sarandon’s yakking about the Palestinians. Nothing from Madonna either (talk about courage – checking THAT FEED took some, I’ll have you know). Linda Sarsour hasn’t the courage to defend their bravery herself – she’s busy retweeting other people.

What revolting, entitled hypocrites, who can’t see past their Tesla’s hood or pet cause to find a real injustice to get behind.