Sunnis Protest In Iran As Leader Lambasts Khamenei

In a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres Thursday night, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned of the “negative consequences” of the UNHRC’s “political measure” on cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the West, referring to calls for a special meeting over the deadly clampdown on the current protests across Iran. 

Alleging that the Islamic Republic has "deeply exercised restraint" in the ongoing unrest – which has left over 300 protesters dead and about 15,000 detained, he told the UN chief that such a meeting should be held for countries that "promote violence and terror."

“The UN Human Rights Council should hold sessions for governments that are encouraging violence and terror, not for the Islamic Republic of Iran which is a true defender of human rights and has exercised great restraint during recent riots,” he said. 

Amir-Abdollahian added that “Contrary to the UN Charter, a few Western countries exploited the peaceful demands in Iran and encouraged violence and offered tutorials on building weapons and Molotov cocktails on media and social networks which led to the killing of police and insecurity in Iran.”

Iranian officials have been accusing “enemies” of fomenting protests, but so far have not presented any evidence.

He also claimed that “technical” negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are at “appropriate” levels, despite remarks by the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog. Rafael Mariano Grossi said Wednesday Iran did not offer anything new during a recent meeting in Vienna to resolve major differences.

Taraneh Alidoosti – best known for Oscar-winning movie "The Salesman" -- posted a picture of herself on Instagram without a headscarf on Wednesday, joining several other actresses who have unveiled in public to express support for the ongoing protests, ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody of hijab or ‘morality’ police. 

In her photo, the artist hold up a sign which reads, "Woman, Life, Freedom" in Kurdish, the main motto of the protest rallies that have been echoing across Iran and abroad for the past 53 days. Along with her Instagram photo, Alidoosti, who has published many Instagram posts critical of the clerical regime in the past, also wrote phrases of a song by contemporary singer-songwriter Shahyar Ghanbari. "Your final absence, the migration of singing birds, is not the end of this rebellion," read the poem, signaling her support for the protests. 

Describing the move as “an cultural earthquake,” anti-hijab activist Masih Alinejad posted Alidoosti’s photo on her twitter account. “Another blow lands against gender apartheid regime,” she said.

Earlier on Thursday, two other Iranian actresses – namely Donya Madani and Khazar Ma'soomi – also posted photos of themselves without hijab. 

In her post without hijab, Donya Madani said, "Now, I am myself and what I see in the mirror is myself. I will fight for women, life, freedom." Khazar Ma'soomi also shared a poem about Iran. 

Three other female filmmakers -- Azadeh Bizargiti, Mina Akbari, and Maryam Yavari – also published photos without hijab on Thursday.

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Many Iranian celebrities in Iran and abroad praised the move by the actresses and shared their photos on their social media pages to express their support. 

Since the start of protests, several other female actresses have posted pictures of themselves without the compulsory hijab in solidarity with the demonstrations. Among the first ones was Katayoun Riyahi, who has not been heard of since reports about her attempted arrest by security forces.

Such acts of defiance by actresses have been a thorn in the eyes of the Islamic Republic’s state broadcaster that has to remove them from TV sitcoms and movies they had appeared in or stop airing the shows altogether. 

In addition to actresses, several Iran-based athletes have unveiled in public or posted on social media in support of the protests. 

Parmida Ghasemi is the latest athlete who removed hijab in public. Unlike other athletes who defied the hijab rules when competing abroad, she removed her head covering on the podium at the end of an archery cup.

Last week, Niloufar Mardani, a member of the national Iranian speed skating team stepped on a podium in Turkey on November 6 to receive the top award while not wearing a headscarf.

She was arrested by the Islamic Republic’s agents after returning to Iran and later a statement attributed to her was published in which she said she appeared unveiled in public by mistake. Most Iranians believe that such statements are made under the pressure of regime agents.

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In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi appeared without hijab in the finals of competitions in South Korea, causing an international sensation. She was greeted by a huge welcoming crowd as she returned home but the vehicle carrying her did not stop and passed through the large crowd, taking her directly to a meeting of the country’s sports minister.

Shortly after, state media published a video interview of Rekabi in the airport arrival hall, in which the athlete called her move to appear without hijab “inadvertent.” 

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Iran’s national beach football team did not cheer or celebrate after winning the cup following their final victory against Brazil and also refused to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic at the beginning of their semifinal match against the UAE.

During the final, Iranian striker Saeed Piramoun expressed his solidarity with Iranian protesters by miming the hair cutting gesture after scoring a goal, a move that has drawn enormous appreciation by Iranian social media users and renowned footballers alike. 

The “hair-cutting” gesture has become an international symbol of solidarity with Iranian women and the protest movement with many international athletes and celebrities posting images of themselves re-enacting the move.

According to reports, the water supply of the city of Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Iran’s Kordestan province, was shut off as a measure to quash the protests in the city while security forces opened fire at a group of people who were dancing in public in solidarity with the protesters. 

According to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the drinking water of Sanandaj was completely cut off last night deliberately and under the supervision of the security organizations to put pressure on the protesters.

In many cities across the country, people set fires to billboards and banners of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other iconic figures of the Islamic Republic such as Qasem Soleimani, forcing the security forces to guard them 24/7. 

People in the city of Mahabad, in West Azarbaijan province, kept on with their protests on Thursday. People were out on streets in the city after the body of Fayeq Mam-Qadri, who was shot by security forces died following 25 days in coma. Businesspeople in the city also held a strike in his honor on Thursday. 

In addition to the closure of shops in Mahabad, employees in 37 South Pars gas platforms have gone on strike to show anger at government mismanagement and unfair wages.

People of Marivan in Kordestan province also held mourning ceremonies for the 40th day since the death of Mokhtar Ahmadi, a 19-year-old boy who was killed by security forces during the protests in the city. The 40th day after one’s death carries immense significance in the Iranian culture.

People in several cities of Sistan and Baluchestan province also continued their protests to mark the 40th day since Bloody Friday in Zahedan on September 30, when security forces killed at least 93 people, and injured many more. Rights group Amnesty International has recorded the names of 100 protesters, including 16 children, killed in the province since 30 September.

Students also continued their protests and sit-ins on Thursday in several campuses across the country. In Mashhad, students booed and stopped the speech of government spokesman Ali Bahadori-Jahromi. Students in Tehran also walked out of their classes and held rallies in support of the protests. 

According to information obtained by Iran International, a gathering was held by people at the grave of Ali Seyyedi, one of the protesters killed on October 26, the 40th day since the death in custody of a Mahsa Amini whose death sparked the protests. 

Spearheaded by Canada-based activist Hamed Esmaeilion, another international protest rally is planned for November 19. Esmaeilion’s daughter and wife were killed when the IRGC shot down a passenger plane in January 2020.

Hannah Neumann said during a parliament session on Thursday said that people of Iran are being brutally suppressed by their own regime “and it is not accepted by us.”

“Protesters are beaten-up, raped and killed in the streets and in prisons, not by criminals but by those who claim to be the government of this wonderful country,” she added.

Speaking during a session she went on to say that out of the 290 members of the Iranian parliament 227 called on the country’s judiciary to severely punish protesters and political prisoners, including with issuing death sentences.

Neumann called on her colleagues in the European Union to send a very strong signal that such moves are not accepted.

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She also urged them to impose targeted sanctions against these 227 Iranian lawmakers.

Neumann stated that the EU is right now preparing a sanctions package to be issued by the Foreign Affairs Council next Monday, but “this package has only 31 individuals,” so a debate must be held to include all these Iranian parliamentarians.

A group of 227 parliament members in Iran called on the Judiciary Sunday to issue death sentences for people arrested during the ongoing antigovernment protests.

In a statement that was read out in the Iranian parliament on Sunday, the lawmakers called the protesters ‘Mohareb’ -- which literally means warrior in Arabic, but in Islamic law or sharia it means ‘enemy of God’ that carries the death penalty.

Mohammad Taghi Naghd Ali said the turban-tossing protest movement in recent weeks is a “conspiracy of the devils.”

“Clergymen may bear with it and be patient, but those who play with the lion's tail must be aware they would face the music,” noted the representative of Khomeini Shahr in the Iranian parliament, not elaborating further.

Tossing the turbans of clergymen as they are walking in streets is now part of the current wave of antigovernment protests across Iran, which started as a reaction to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody of hijab police. Younger Iranians tired of government attempts to force them to observe the mandatory Islamic dress code and a restricted lifestyle, began protests and disobedience in mid-September.

The phenomenon has forced many clerics to tie their turbans under their chins or use other head coverings to keep them on their heads as they walk in the streets.

This new addition to the ongoing protests has caused a stir among regime officials and has even made Iraqi Shia cleric and politician Muqtada al-Sadr worried that the trend may spread to his side of the border as a form of protest to Islamic autocracy. He released a statement to condemn the act after many Iraqi young people started to dare their friends on social media to flip some turbans.