“Woman, Life, Freedom” is the slogan that has galvanized tens of thousands of citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran to participate in protests since a young woman’s death in police custody in September, 2022, after her arrest for improperly wearing hijab.  On Feb. 8, the World Affairs Council-Tacoma and Bellarmine Preparatory School co-hosted a talk by Saghar Amini, a recent graduate of UWS with a degree in political science with a focus on international security.

Since the protests broke out, Ms. Amini has been actively organizing and attending protests against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Seattle area.  Ms. Amini explained that while reformist presidents have come and gone in Iran over the past decades, the death of Mahsa Amini (no relation) proved a breaking point for many Iranians who have lost hope for change.  Current protests differ from previous ones in that people of all ages, genders, economic classes, ideologies and religions have been activated and are finding common cause against the Islamic Republic of Iran. By calling it the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ms. Amini emphasized that she was drawing a line between the Iranian people and their government, making the point that the Supreme Leader, the  President and the Parliament, whose “principles of identity” revolve around mandatory hijab, anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism, do not represent the will of the Iranian people.

Protest in Bellevue this past fall (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Ms. Amini emphasized that the current protests in Iran represent a domestic Iranian issue and that foreign governments should not intervene. But she said that people around the world can offer support by sanctioning the Iranian leadership, and by emphasizing human rights.  The American people can help by keeping the protests in the news and by attending protests such as have been held in Seattle, Los Angeles, and other cities around the country.

The World Affairs Council-Tacoma has long included a PPPA faculty member on its board. For upcoming events, see: https://www.wactacoma.com/