Narges Mohammadi: Mahdi Yarihi's Song 'Take Off Your Hijab' Was a Blow to the Authoritarian Religious Government

Narges Mohammadi, a imprisoned human rights activist, expressed her support for Mahdi Yarihi, a detained protest singer. Mr. Yarihi was arrested and imprisoned after singing the song 'Take Off Your Hijab.' In a message published on his Instagram page, Ms. Mohammadi wrote: 'Yarihi challenged a government that has employed all its power from the 'Oppressive Parliament, the blind justice system to the repressive government, to enforce mandatory hijab.' She added: 'The 'Oppressive Parliament' cowardly passes the 'Hijab and Chastity Bill,' which is more clearly a conspiracy for the imprisonment, torture, and detention of women, even schoolgirls, to dominate women, without even having the courage to present it in its public sessions.' This imprisoned human rights activist praised Mahdi Yarihi, stating: 'At a time when his repressive forces brutally beat and torture protesting women and men, Mahdi Yarihi, in a public Instagram post, voices the message of the fighting women of Iran that you cannot take away hair, voice, laughter, body, kiss, and life from women with oppression, discrimination, and backwardness, and we are committed to freedom, equality, and democracy.' Narges Mohammadi, a 51-year-old human rights activist, has been imprisoned multiple times. She was released in October 2020 after serving five years in prison, but following a new case against her in June 2021, she was sentenced to 80 lashes and 30 months in prison for 'propaganda against the regime,' 'sit-in at the prison office,' 'disobedience to the prison authorities,' 'destruction of glass,' and 'defamation.' Ms. Mohammadi stated that she does not recognize this ruling and has been imprisoned since November 2021. Over the past year, she has protested various issues from prison and has been sentenced for her recent stances to 'propaganda activities' against the Islamic Republic. The judiciary's punishments against this imprisoned human rights activist increased with another new ruling to 10 years and 9 months in prison and 154 lashes. In May of this year, Narges Mohammadi jointly received the UNESCO 'World Press Freedom' award with Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, imprisoned journalists, and in June, she won the 'Freedom to Write' award from the American PEN Association.