JERUSALEM, Israel – Forty days after her death, thousands of Iranians gathered at the grave of Masha Amini, the student who died in police custody after her arrest for improperly wearing a woman’s head covering, the hijab.
Her death sparked weeks of ongoing protests, a prolonged disturbance that some now say poses a threat to the Islamic regime.
The protest and huge crowd at Amini’s grave is symbolic of the rallying cry for regime change. Forty days following a death of a loved one is the time when many Iranians remember them. Now the protests are continuing both inside and outside Iran, despite the deaths of 200 more people by the Tehran government. Women in other parts of the world are cutting their own hair, a sign of solidarity with Iranian women.
At a recent Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebration in Jerusalem sponsored by the International Christian Embassy (ICEJ), Sharren Haskel, a member of Israel’s parliament, made her own statement.
“In the light of these protests I would like to join them in a global movement. Jin, jesad, amani. Women, life, freedom,” she announced, and then cut her own hair.
CBN News spoke with Haskel after her address.
“Just watching the Iranian women and children in the last few days and how brave they are. They are risking their own lives to march down the street, to find their own freedom, to fight for their own future is really heart-wrenching,” she said, and added, “There is not much we can do here in Israel. We are already in a collision with Iran. They have already called for the elimination of our country. But this is a chance in history for the rest of the world to stand by the Iranian people to help them.”
Haskel says the Sukkot gathering with 70 nations represented was a unique opportunity.
“What we have here are two thousand Christian believers that that thing can touch their hearts. They are the ones who can make that difference. They are the ones who have the power to influence their government to make that change for those little girls and that’s the most important thing at the moment,” she explained.
Two Iranian exiles also attended the Feast and expressed what they are hearing from the Iranian street.
“People say we don’t need Islamic regime and they want to be free. But the government say no,” said Saeid Miryaghoobi, a musician. “ You have to do this one. You have to do this one. That’s why they kill people daily. I don’t know how much. So many people they die in my country now,” Miryaghoobi added.
Iranians have protested before, but Miryaghoobi believes this time it’s not the same.
“This time is very different because they don’t have anything to lose, he said.”
As they have done in the past, such as the protests in 2009, Iranians are looking to the outside world for help.
“There’s no help from outside,” said Peyman Mojtahedi, another Iranian at the Feast. “From strong countries like the United States, so many countries, and right now people in Iran are fighting by themselves. Nothing, with no guns. They have just heart and just their voice,” he lamented.
The two Iranians have three prayer requests for Christians beyond Iran.
“Pray for comfort for Iranians who are grieving over what’s happening. And pray for hurting to find their healing and lasting hope in Christ. And pray for Iranian Christians inside of Iran. Especially in these days when we are hearing that so many Christians and going outside and helping and spreading Gospel. And if you can pray these three points, that would be perfect. Thank you,” Mojtahedi said.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN
