On the 14th of September, 2022, Mahsa Amini – an Iranian woman of Kurdish ethnicity, was arrested by the Guidance Patrol of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the charges of wearing an “improper hijab.” As an Islamic theocracy, Iran had previously implemented a mandatory dress code for women in 1979, according to Ruhollah Khomeini’s interpretation of Islamic law. Additionally, Khomeini further decreed that women would no longer be allowed to enter the workplace or any government office unveiled, as they would be seen as “naked.”
Amini was later placed under the Iranian Moral Security Police and was allegedly severely beaten while in custody, according to several eyewitness accounts. She was later released. However, having suffered a heart attack and a brain seizure, she died at Kasra Hospital on September 16th.
In response to her death, many protests against the Islamic government of Iran began throughout the country, predominantly in the capital of Tehran and Amini’s home province of Kurdistan. Worldwide, the United States of America and other countries imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and have publicly voiced their support for the protesters in Iran. Women’s rights organizations such as @feminist and others across social media blared out slogans that supported feminism in Iran and offered condolences to Amini. The EU, the United Nations, and Amnesty International condemned Iran for Amini’s death, and it seemed that the international community decided to come together to condemn what was an unjust atrocity and abuse of woman’s and human rights.
Meanwhile, on the same day of Amini’s arrest, another atrocity against women took place on Iran’s doorstep. During the September clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan – two countries in the Caucasus region of Eurasia – a female Armenian soldier, Anush Apetyan, was tortured, mutilated, and raped by Azerbaijani soldiers while being humiliated and mocked by them in a gross violation of the Geneva Convention. Apetyan left behind three children.
And how did the world react to this apparent war crime?
Silence.
Except for a few groups based in Turkey, the world remained silent over the death of Apetyan. Neither the UN, the EU, nor Amnesty International made a statement on the matter, and powerful liberal social media platforms such as @feminist and @impact didn’t even mention her death – although it was a major war crime. Foreign news outlets barely even touched on it either at all.
Which now begs a few questions.
Why is it so that the world expresses outrage and grieves over the death of one woman while simultaneously being silent over the death of another?
Where was all the empathy that the world gave to Amini when Apetyan was killed?
Why has nobody even bothered to speak out about this war crime?
Is it because Iran is a threat to American foreign policy? Is it because the interests of the Iranian government clash with that of America and other western nations?
Is it because this happened in a predominantly Muslim country, and that is why there is so much sympathy for Amini and not Apetyan, who is from a predominantly Christian country?
Or is it because Iran is much larger than Armenia, and that is why Apetyan’s death doesn’t deserve as much coverage as Amini’s?
Alas, who knows for sure? Given how Armenia has been ignored and snubbed by the international community and its allies for the past few years, it isn’t surprising that a war crime committed on Armenian soil by foreign troops is ignored too.
Perhaps it is about time that change happens for Armenia and that their plight is no longer ignored – and the first step is to be aware of the issue before taking action.
Rest in peace to Anush Apetyan and Mahsa Amini. May both names be remembered, and justice come for them.
— Writer Ohn Onkchareon can be reached at ohn2005@gmail.com. Follow him on Instagram @ost_chy.
— Editor Karis Yim can be reached at kariseyim@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram @karisyim.
