Forough Farrokhzad gave voice to Iranian women’s despair and defiance
“If you want these bonds broken,” the 20th-century poet wrote, “grasp the skirt of obstinacy”
Women’s liberty is at the forefront of Iranian politics. In September Mahsa Amini was arrested for not wearing her hijab correctly and died in police custody; for weeks people occupied the streets and chanted “women, life, freedom.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the regime’s praetorian guard, has clamped down on the protests and arrested tens of thousands of people. Some police officers have continued to threaten women who do not cover their hair and have erected billboards stating that those forgoing the hijab are dishonouring their families.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Freedom writer”
From the July 8th 2023 edition
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