Iranian Women Have Taken To Twitter To Break Years Of Silence And Share Detailed Stories Of Sexual Abuse
New Age Islam
News Bureau
29 August 2020
• First Batch of
Dubai Police Female Officers Honoured
• Small-Scale
Factories to Encourage Saudi Women Investors
• UAE- Sheikha
Fatima bint Mubarak awarded 'Exemplary Woman Medal' at Arab Woman Forum
• Emirati Women
Are True Support for Homeland: Mansour Bin Zayed
• Shooting Fails
To Deter Afghan Woman On Taliban Talks Team
• Women Social
Security and Challenges in Afghanistan
• Saudi Arabia Supports
Yemeni Women in Reproductive Health
• Iranian
Musician Faces Jail Over Women Dancers and Singers
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-women-taken-twitter-break/d/122746
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Iranian Women Flood Twitter with Stories of Sexual Abuse
28 August 2020
© Courtesy Sara Omatali Sara
Omatali, a Washington-based educator and former Iranian journalist, is one of
the many who said she had suppressed memories of sexual assault and hopes for a
future when women will feel comfortable speaking about trauma publicly.
-----
Iranian women
have taken to Twitter to break years of silence and share detailed stories of
sexual abuse, including intrafamilial incidents, naming alleged abusers with
hashtags such as #rape, #assault and #NoMeansNo.
Some alleged
abusers are well-connected and famous figures in Iran -- stars of sports and
media and the arts, doctors, teachers and professors.
It all started
with a tweet in early August by an anonymous user explaining how one could
convince a woman to engage in sexual activity on a first date by kissing her
without asking and pretending it was because “her beauty was striking."
That user later deactivated his account after facing a huge backlash.
The
unprecedented support of Twitter users encouraged not just women but also men
to reveal the names of their alleged perpetrators, which even led to revealing
some individuals accused of serial abuse.
In one case,
multiple women said they'd similarly been raped after being drugged with a
perpetrator's homemade wine. Tehran Police arrested that suspect -- introduced
as "Mr. K.E." -- and called for others who have possibly been
assaulted by this person to come forward, as the Islamic Republic News Agency
reported on Tuesday.
"We assure
the anonymity of all complaints," said Hossein Rahimi, Tehran's head
police general, encouraging other survivors to speak to authorities.
Domestic media
started to cover the issue just after the police acknowledged the online
movement by arresting the alleged serial rapist. But the issue hasn't been
covered on national television.
"It takes
time until the taboo of disclosing sexual assaults breaks down in a wider
scale," Mahboubeh Hosseinadeh, an Iranian women's rights activist, told
ABC News.
Sara Omatali, a
Washington-based educator, is one of the many who said she longed for the day
when women got the opportunity to lighten their traumatic burdens by speaking
about them publicly.
Omatali said she
suppressed bitter memories of being sexually assaulted by a famous Iranian
painter for years. As the #MeToo Movement took shape in the U.S. in 2017, those
memories came flooding back.
"All these
years I remained silent, as I was afraid of those who would tell me I had no
evidence to prove my claim ... but now, I feel that it is below my dignity to
stay silent out of fear," she wrote on Twitter.
Even with so
many sharing such intimate stories, many still were surprised to see the names
of friends and colleagues among accusers and abusers.
"I burst
into tears reading about those women who were assaulted by some people known as
women's rights activists," Hosseinzadeh said. "It was the last thing
I could imagine I had to get prepared for."
Lawyers have
joined in the social media surge, offering to help survivors pro bono to pursue
justice against alleged abusers.
"I am ready
to represent victims of rape and sexual assault on women for free and to be
with them at all stages of the proceedings. My share in the fight against
sexual assault on women," Marziyeh Mohebi, a lawyer, wrote on her Twitter
page Wednesday.
In a turn of
events, while some of the women who exposed their alleged rapists wrote that
they would bring legal cases against abusers, others said they wouldn't pursue
a legal remedy because they don't agree with execution, the legal punishment of
rape in Iran.
"The fact
that some of the survivors of sexual assault are against the execution and say
it is why they would not file a case at the court shows how our people are
ahead of the existing law," Hossesinzadeh said. "For example, based
on the current law, if a man kills his own child, he would only face three to
10 years in prison, but the punishment for rape is execution."
Hosseinzadeh
pointed to a recent honor killing.
"The law
lags behind the public in this case," she said, "and it is up to the
media and NGOs to seize the momentum for future positive changes."
https://abcnews.go.com/International/iranian-women-flood-twitter-stories-sexual-abuse/story?id=72575083
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First Batch of
Dubai Police Female Officers Honoured
August 28, 2020
Dubai Police
----
DUBAI — Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, met with the first batch of 29 female cadets graduating from Dubai Police Academy during an event here on Friday.
Speaking on the
occasion, Sheikh Hamdan, who is also chairman of Dubai Executive Council, said
the UAE leadership’s support has enabled Emirati women to prove their merit and
make a mark not only locally and regionally but also globally. By showing the
highest levels of competence, they have demonstrated their ability to excel in
leadership roles.
Lt. Gen.
Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Dubai Police Commander-in-Chief; Mohammed Ahmed bin
Fahd, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Academic Affairs and Training at Dubai
Police; Brigadier Dr. Ghaith Ghanim Al Suwaidi, Director of the Dubai Police
Academy, and a number of officers and trainers also attended the event.
"We are
proud to witness the graduation of the first batch of female cadets who have
taken on the task of serving and protecting the nation and ensuring the safety
and security of its people," the crown prince said.
Sheikh Hamdan
congratulated the cadets on graduating from the Dubai Police Academy with
distinction. He also commended them on winning local and regional sports
championships. He urged the graduates to excel in all the tasks they are
entrusted with and be stellar representatives of Emirati women in the security
and police force.
"Since the
first woman was recruited by Dubai Police in 1967, women have excelled in
various roles in the police force. They have demonstrated their distinction in
administrative, field, military, and applied science capacities. Today, we are
happy to honor these cadets who have made the best of the opportunities made
available by the Dubai Police Academy in the first such course offered in the
Arab world.”
“Their success
is an immense source of pride for us and vindicates the UAE’s efforts to
enhance women’s empowerment and ensure a high ranking for the country in global
gender balance indexes," Sheikh Hamdan said.
https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/597241/World/Mena/First-batch-of-Dubai-Police-women-officers-honored
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Small-Scale
Factories To Encourage Saudi Women Investors
27 Aug,2020
Saudi mobilization to
encourage the work and investment of Saudi women in the industrial sector |
Asharq Al-Awsat
----
Seeking to
empower women entrepreneurship in the industrial sector, the Saudi Organization
for Industrial Estates and Technology Zones (MODON) announced plans to
establish fully equipped small-scale factories that sit on top of 200 square
meters each.
MODON
Director-General Khaled Al-Salem revealed that the plan for launching these
model factories will start in April next year in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia.
Salem said the
shift towards smaller factories followed claims laid by businesswomen who
complained that ready-made factories were too big and exceed the size of their
businesses.
In a virtual
workshop hosted by Asharqia Chambers, Salem confirmed that the new factories
will resolve the issues presented by businesswomen, and noted that a host of
incentives have been secured to empower and increase female investment in the
industrial sector.
With a modest 1%
of total sector investments, the presence of businesswomen in the industrial
sector is still weak, Salem pointed out. He explained that Saudi women
investors still believe that the sector is reserved for major capital investors
who can withstand market instabilities.
As for women
labor in Saudi factories, the MODON chief said that the number of Saudi women
working in the industrial sector had reached 17,000 in 2019.
“There are very
successful experiences of some factories in providing a suitable environment
for women to work,” Salem said.
When asked by
Asharq Al-Awsat about the ability of factories to overcome the effects of the
coronavirus pandemic, Salem stated that MODON factories have benefited greatly
in the past period.
“Paying rents
has become better than it was before the pandemic,” he said.
Factories
focused on producing building materials, according to Salem, have particularly
improved with the new housing programs.
Salem also
revealed that MODON is working on methods to fast track women investor’s
participation in the industrial sector.
He stressed that
the industrial sector offers very promising opportunities to women, whether
investors or laborers.
https://salaamgateway.com/story/small-scale-factories-to-encourage-saudi-women-investors
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UAE- Sheikha
Fatima bint Mubarak awarded 'Exemplary Woman Medal' at Arab Woman Forum
8/28/2020
(MENAFN -
Emirates News Agency (WAM)) ABU DHABI, 28th August, 2020 (WAM) -- H.H. Sheikha
Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President
of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of
the Family Development Foundation (FDF) was awarded the 'Exemplary Woman Medal'
by the Arab Women Campaign, at the first edition of the Arab Woman Forum, which
convened virtually Friday, in sync with the celebrations marking the Emirati
Women's Day.
The award comes in
recognition of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak's contributions and
achievements in areas of women's empowerment and gender equality in the UAE and
beyond.
The event was
attended by an array of dignitaries from the UAE, United Nations, and the
European Union, who shed light on the UAE's achievements in the field of
women's empowerment and gender equality .
A number of UAE
women were honoured during the event in recognition for their contributions to
the development drive in the nation.
https://menafn.com/1100712375/UAE-Sheikha-Fatima-bint-Mubarak-awarded-Exemplary-Woman-Medal-at-Arab-Woman-Forum
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Emirati women
are true support for homeland: Mansour Bin Zayed
August 28, 2020
ABU DHABI —
Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of
presidential affairs, has stated that Emirati women, thanks to Sheikha Fatima
Bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), president of the
Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the
Family Development Foundation (FDF), are true support for the homeland and key
partners in building the country's future, which is preparing for the next 50
years of its history.
In a statement,
he made to mark Emirati Women’s Day, Sheikh Mansour said, "On this day when
our country is marking Emirati Women's Day, we extend greetings and
congratulations to Sheikha Fatima "Mother of the Nation" whose
efforts resulted in providing care to women, their social and financial
well-being, constitutional protection of their rights, political empowerment,
full participation in decision-making and accomplishing achievements.
“Thanks to these
efforts, Emirati women today represent true support for the nation and key
partners in building the future of the country while preparing to the next 50
years of its history."
"Every
year, Aug. 28 is the day on which we salute the Emirati mothers, sisters,
daughters, housewives and mothers of martyrs. On this day we glorify their
roles in all walks of life and domains where they are full partners to men with
competence, excellence and success," he added.
Sheikh Mansour
said, "On this day, that coincides with the 45 anniversary of establishing
the GWU, we appreciate and pray to Allah Almighty to rest the soul of the
Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Paradise as he
said, 'Nothing pleases me more than seeing women playing their distinguished
role in society.'"
He noted, ''Now,
women are on the frontlines and playing their role in society thanks to the
unstinted support and care from President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, prime minister and ruler
of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and
deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the Supreme Council
members, rulers of the Emirates."
''Emirati women
will always be the pillar of stability and solidarity, together, we will work
to place our country among the top 25 countries on the Gender Balance Index by
2021 to achieve the UAE Vision 2021. We greet Emirati women in their day under
the logo, 'Planning for the next 50 years ...Women are the support of the
homeland.'" he said. — WAM
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/597225/World/Mena/Emirati-women-are-true-support-for-homeland-Mansour-Bin-Zayed
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Shooting fails
to deter Afghan woman on Taliban talks team
Shadi Khan Saif
AUGUST 27, 2020
KABUL (Thomson
Reuters Foundation) - Afghan women’s rights advocate Fawzia Koofi had
nightmares for days after a volley of bullets was fired at her car as she
travelled with her daughter in the restive province of Parwan.
Just two weeks
later and with her arm still in a cast, Koofi, one of the few female members of
the Afghan team negotiating a peace deal with the Taliban, is planning to
return to the area, where floods have killed more than 150 people.
It is a sign of
the determination of a woman who has survived two apparent assassination
attempts to keep fighting for a more equal, just and stable future for her
country after decades of war.
“It was a narrow
escape,” said Koofi of the Aug. 14 attack. “All the way to hospital (my
daughter) held my bleeding arm tight and kept telling me not to close my eyes,”
she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at her now fortified home.
The Taliban has
denied responsibility for the attack, which came as the Afghan government
prepared for talks with the Taliban following a U.S. peace deal with the
militants signed in February.
Many Afghan
women worry the deal does not safeguard their rights, and fear that a U.S.
troop withdrawal and the re-emergence of the Taliban in Afghan politics could
destroy their hard-won gains, from education to freedom of movement.
Koofi, a former
lawmaker, believes the role of female negotiators in the talks with a group
that once banished women from public life is key.
“At previous
meetings with the Taliban ... even if we (Afghan women) do not speak, our
presence indicates we stand for independence, equality and women’s rights”, she
said.
Talks with the
Taliban were to have begun this month in Qatar, but on Thursday Kabul’s top
negotiator said they would be put back to September after disagreements delayed
a planned prisoner swap.
The Taliban
enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law that included public lashings,
flogging and stonings.
Under their rule
from 1996 to 2001, Afghan women were obliged to cover their faces and could not
study, work or leave the house without a male relative.
The group has
said it would allow women to be educated and employed, but within the limits of
Islamic law and Afghan culture.
‘I WOULD NEVER
STOP’
This month’s
attack was not the first time Koofi has been targetted. In 2010, the Taliban
attacked her convoy after she became Afghanistan’s first female deputy speaker
of parliament, firing bullets from a mountain top.
“But this time,
someone getting so close to me, knowingly trying to kill me was much
different,” she said.
Human rights
group Amnesty International said there had been an “extremely worrying” rise in
attacks on film actors, political activists and human rights defenders in
Afghanistan in recent months.
On Wednesday,
three gunmen in Kabul opened fire on the vehicle of prominent female Afghan
film director, actress and police officer Saba Sahar, leaving her with four
bullets in the stomach. The 44-year-old is also a critic of the Taliban.
Koofi said she
planned to soon travel to Parwan to extend her support to thousands of people
affected by recent flash floods.
“I would have to
be more careful, plan twice before any trip. I have increased my security and I
plan to carry on. I would never stop”, she said.
“I would not be
me if I stopped reaching out to people.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban-women-interview-t/shooting-fails-to-deter-afghan-woman-on-taliban-talks-team-idUSKBN25N2KQ
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Women Social
Security and Challenges in Afghanistan
By Nasima Bari
28 Aug 2020
A prerequisite
for any economic, social, cultural and political development is a sense of
security – especially the security of a woman. Awareness of such sense among
inhabitants of a society has an effective role in recognizing the challenges
and presenting development strategies. In Afghanistan, one of the most
important things that affects development is the inability of women, unlike
men, to have a sense of security. This is more noticeable for women in a
conservative, yet traditional, society such as Afghanistan. Therefore, women
are the most vulnerable segment of society in relation to the issue of women’s
security and categories such as social support that has affected the sense of
social security of Afghan women in all cities.
Afghanistan is
still ranked as the worst place in the world for woman to live. According to
the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and Human Rights
Watch, women operate daily under extremely dangerous situations in the South
and Southwest regions of the country – mainly in Helmand and Kandahar
provinces. With no choice, they are mandated to observe use of Burqa, advised
not to carry any sort of handbag or laptop bag, as well as, their phones should
be off so it is never heard ringing. Working outside homes in Afghan
administrations is a taboo and talking directly about women’s rights could be
punishable.
In Afghanistan,
women are discriminated in various ways, for they are born girls. Women and
girls are banned from going to school or educational centers, working in their
desired jobs, leaving the house without a chaperone, showing their skin in
public, accessing healthcare delivered by men (with women forbidden from
working, healthcare is virtually inaccessible), and not to mention, banned from
being involved in politics or speaking publicly. There are many other ways in
which basic human rights are denied to them. Women are essentially invisible in
public life; imprisoned in their homes. Specifically, in southern Afghanistan,
the residents are ordered to cover their ground and first-floor windows so
women inside could not be seen from the street. If a woman left the house, it
is in a full-body veil (burqa), accompanied by a male relative – she has no
independence at all. If she disobeyed these mandated laws, punishments are
harsh. A woman could be flogged for showing an inch or two of their skin under
her full-body burqa, beaten for attempting to study, stoned to death if she is
found guilty of adultery; while rape and violence against women and girls are
rife.
The
deteriorating and fragile situation of human rights defenders in Afghanistan is
another burning issue. Recently on Jun 29, 2020, a sticky mine explosion killed
two employees of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in capital
Kabul. Through a discussion of security challenges identified through a human
security perspective, research shows how these threats are severe obstacles,
limiting women from participating in community life and pursuing their
ambitions. Violence, oppression, lack of education and employment
opportunities, and limited access to legal protection are highly critical
threats for many urban and rural Afghan women.
In the past,
under the Mujahedin and Taliban’s regime, women endured unspeakably harsh
conditions and were deprived of basic rights. In the present scenario, after
late 2001, the hope of Afghan women were revived with a new presence of the
international community and budding support for women’s participation in
social, economic, and cultural aspects of life. Despite impressive efforts made
since 2001 and some significant strides in education, some aspects remain
extremely difficult for Afghan women. The Era has changed, challenges took a
new shape, but its core remained still for women.
Findings from
The Asia Foundation’s Survey of the Afghan People reveal Afghan women face the
biggest problems. The social security tops the list, followed by education and
illiteracy, lack of job opportunities and equal rights for women and domestic
violence. These problems are interconnected and have a reciprocal effect on
each other – making lasting solutions even more difficult.
After 20 years
of Afghan women’s struggles, today, the media are an important source of
depictions of women that differ from the traditional, conservative roles
imposed during the Taliban era. Television and the Internet in particular have
a significant impact on perceptions of women’s rights and their social
security. Afghans who rely on the Internet and television to obtain news and
information are more supportive of equal educational opportunities for men and
women (89.8% Internet and 87.5% television) than radio listeners (82.2%).
Television also exposes Afghans to the notion of women working outside the
home. Those who use television (77.1%) and the Internet (76.3%) are the most
likely to support women working outside the home. When asked about appropriate
dress for women in public, Afghans who rely on television select more liberal,
westernized clothing. But, about 22% of the population is urbanite and the
remaining 78% live in rural areas with no access to television. The women’s
issue becomes more complicated and women’s problems remain unresolved.
Although
security is important, many women think feeling safe is more important than
security per se. Even if there seems to be security in Afghan society, women
may not feel safe. Among them, women are the most vulnerable in society, and
categories such as: social support impacts on women’s feeling in all aspect
throughout the country.
Another point
is, the position and personality of women in the minds and public beliefs of
Afghan society. The image that a nation’s public culture presents of women is,
in fact, the attitude and view of the people towards Afghan women, and the
Afghan nation can be evaluated by the images in the patriarchal attitudes,
gender’s hegemony, traditional customs, religious traditions, men-dominated
literature and the common values which produced by the shadows.
In Afghan
society, women do not have independent social maturity and are socially
dependent; their connection is considered social security and their separation
is their social insecurity. In today’s Afghan society, most human traits are
registered in the name of men and are considered as male traits. Like good
mood, courage and hard work are masculine traits and, on the contrary,
easy-going, forgiving, unfaithful are considered feminine traits. Although
Afghanistan is not only struggling in such areas, concerns over increasing
insecurity makes women more discouraged in Afghanistan.
All types of
male-organized newspapers and their hegemonic literature is also a killing
instrument. If we look at the face of women in Afghan literature, we will find
the view of the Afghan society towards women in the past and today; As one of
the common points of our literature with public culture is the pessimistic
attitude towards women from both sides, and in the national literature, which
is the language of public culture, women are considered as a symbol of weakness
and fear. Everywhere and in all different angles of the works of writers and
poets of yesterday and even today, a woman is a fragile and unstable element,
and this issue has progressed to the point the negative perception of female
personality in the soul, mind and language of women poets and cultural design
has also infiltrated.
The Afghan
common culture has also likened good and successful women to men, and bad men
have always been treated as women. So much so, the worst trait for men is equal
to being a woman and the best trait for a woman is masculinity. What emerges
from popular culture and popular beliefs is that it is as if God created women
only for housekeeping and that the courage and bravery of women in popular
culture is a strange phenomenon; because it has always been called “weak” and
if we say “brave woman”, we have attributed an adjective to a person who is
unlikely and we should say “do not say woman, but so and so”. Common values in
Afghan society and adherence to them in the society are very important from the
perspective of the people of Afghan society. To the point, it happens the
defect of the law enacted by the government is not considered very anti-value
in the eyes of the people.
The feeling of
security is a category beyond the mere existence of security in Afghanistan.
Factors such as marital status, satisfaction with appearance, family support,
how others treat them, religious commitment, and… are some of the factors
affecting the sense of social security among women, among which family support
has the greatest impact.
Given the
country’s current social, political, cultural situation, there are a variety of
factors that exacerbate these problems. The need to create safe urban spaces
for Afghan women in the position of the most vulnerable sections of society is
one of the important and significant issues that are related to issues such as
crime, violence, victimization, prevention of helplessness and depression.
Eliminating legal and legal bottlenecks, designing supportive, educational,
preventive programs, and providing the necessary context for women’s
empowerment and the necessary legal and social support are among the policies
that should be considered in formulating policies and macro-plans.
https://www.khaama.com/women-social-security-and-social-challenges-in-afghanistan-8698796/
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Saudi Arabia
supports Yemeni women in reproductive health
August 29, 2020
RIYADH: The UN
Population Fund (UNFPA), with the support of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid
and Relief Center (KSRelief), has provided, since the beginning of 2020,
treatment services for more than 58,500 Yemeni women in reproductive health.
UNFPA seeks to
fund maternity facilities and health centers by helping pregnant women ensure a
safe delivery, so that their children can be healthy and stable.
This initiative
is part of the support provided by the Kingdom, represented by KSRelief, to
UNFPA with the aim of promoting the health of women and children in Yemen and
various countries around the world.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1726186/saudi-arabia
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Iranian musician
faces jail over women dancers and singers
August 29, 2020
AMMAN: Iranian
musician Mehdi Rajabian said he is under house arrest as he awaits trial for
working with female dancers and singers, in the country’s latest move to stop
women artists performing.
Rajabian, 30,
said he was arrested on Aug. 10 following media reports that his latest project
will include women singing and the publication of a video of a woman dancing to
his music — both of which can be deemed immoral under Iranian law.
Iran’s Justice
Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance did not respond to
requests for comment.
“Even if I go to
prison hundreds of times, I need female singing in my project, I need female
dance,” said Rajabian, who has been jailed twice before over his music.
“Whenever I feel
the need to produce this music, I will definitely produce it. I do not censor
myself,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation via text message from the
northern city of Sari where he is currently out on bail.
Iran has long
censored art and music and arrested hundreds of performers under vaguely
defined morality laws that target women and sexual minorities, according to
Human Rights Watch.
There are no
laws banning women in music but religious decisions issued under Iran’s Islamic
rulers, who came to power in the 1979 revolution, have been used arbitrarily,
said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of Center for Human Rights in Iran.
“The government
would like to propagate ... a traditional attitude toward women’s presence in
public in general,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be about performance.”
Hunger strike
The legitimacy
of the Islamic republic’s rulers was challenged by nationwide protests last
year, sparked by fuel price hikes, which were met with a violent crackdown.
Many young
Iranians are disillusioned with laws that limit women’s freedom, with fines and
jail terms for having their hair uncovered or for wearing clothes deemed
immodest. Thousands have protested by removing their hijabs in public in online
videos.
The video which
led to Rajabian’s latest arrest features Iranian dancer Helia Bandeh, who lives
outside Iran, performing to a track from his 2019 peace album “Middle Eastern”
by Sony Music, which features about 100 artists.
Rajabian spent
three months in solitary confinement in 2013 for propaganda against the state
and in 2015 he served 2 years behind bars until he was released after a 40-day
hunger strike.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1726206/middle-east
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-women-taken-twitter-break/d/122746