September 9, 2023
One year has passed since the murder of Zhina-Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, by the morality police of the Islamic Republic. A turbulent year, a year that changed the aspect of our society. The protest against Mahsa's murder led to an explosion of public dissatisfaction and, in its process, turned into a revolutionary movement against the pillars of the Islamic Republic and its denial, and turned the name of Zhina-Mahsa into a symbol of fundamental changes. This movement quickly spread to all parts of the country and took over the streets, and despite the brutal repression, the killing of young people and children by the regime forces in all parts of Iran continued for months, especially in Kurdistan and Baluchistan and on the Zahedan bloody Fridays. The "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, in the continuation of the uprisings of November 2017 and January 2020, took a step further and changed the people's fighting culture. In the cultural and social arena, despite the continuation of repression, the movement achieved victory, pushed back the regime in connection with the mandatory hijab, and put fear in the hearts of the rulers. The reverberation of this movement went beyond the national borders in a short period of time and was praised by the world as a model of a modern movement. At any moment, this movement can rise again with more resonance and more crushing practical power on the basis of public dissatisfaction with the regime and on the background of disastrous economic and political conditions.
The revolutionary movement of the Iranian people has taken great strides in the past year and opened a new perspective for the society. It made the hope of getting rid of discrimination and tyranny alive and the horizon of victory more visible. It shed more light on the prominent role of women in the foundation of the future of the country, a future without discrimination in all fields/ it strengthened civil movements and various social groups. A breath of fresh air was breathed in the centers of confronting dictatorship and repression, including in universities, schools, among artists, cinematographers, and athletes. It strengthened national solidarity and highlighted the role of national and ethnic movements.
In this one year, the revolutionary movement created its own special culture. It left behind the emblems of the Islamic Republic and its imposed patterns, and above all, it destroyed the mandatory hijab and morality police in the very first step. The struggle of the regime to return society to the conditions before September 2022, despite repression, threats and imprisonment, has not yet succeeded. The people's movement is too powerful to allow such a return. The aim of this movement is to dismantle the entire system based on discrimination and oppression.
The anniversary of Mahsa's killing and the beginning of the revolutionary movement "Women, Life, Freedom" is an opportunity to make this movement more resonant and honor the memory of those who lost their lives, emphasize the goals, achievements and the continuation of the struggle to bring it to victory. On this occasion, our compatriots in Iran and all over the world organize rallies and marches and come to the streets. Kurdish parties have called for a general strike. Civil organizations have continued strikes and protests in different cities. Also, eight civil-democratic and labor organizations in the country have called for street demonstrations and asked everyone to come to the streets and be actively present at the graves of the martyrs of the movement. We welcome these calls.
On the first anniversary of the revolutionary movement "Women, Life, Freedom", the Left Party of Iran honors the memory of those who lost their lives, sends greetings to their bereaved families who have always been under the pressure of the regime, praises the tenacity of the political prisoners across the country and respects the determination of the activists of this movement. We support strikes, rallies and protests on the anniversary of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement and invite everyone to participate, wherever they are and in whatever way they can. The strength of the "Woman, Life, Free" movement is in the solidarity and stable unity of the forces involved in it!
Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran
September 9, 2023
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