Posters of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a 26-year-old Iranian woman who was executed last month in Tehran for trying to defend herself against an attempted rape, and Soheila Jorkesh, a young girl who was the innocent victim of the brutal acid attack against women in the Iranian central city of Isfahan which is widely believed to be the work of government backed militant Basij, were being exhibited on the streets of Washington. This was part of a campaign by Iranian activists against mullahs’ misogynist attitude toward women in Iran.
Last month a series of acid attacks in deferent cities in Iran, but particularly in Isfahan, raised much anger and protest by the Iranian people, especially women. This wave of acid attacks followed a parliamentary measure which gave open hand to militant Basij agents to enforce the mullahs’ lever to suppress women under the repressive “Promotion of virtues and prevention of vice” law. More than 3 dozen women, particularly young women became the victims of this sickening and vicious act of splashing acid at their faces. Almost all were disfigured and even one died of her injuries.
This campaign which has started in Washington and is exhibited in front of the White House, the Congress and the Iranian interest section is coinciding with the anniversary of “No to violence against women” day and calls for a public engagement to stop violence against women in Iran.