Last modified: 2023-04-08 by ian macdonald
Keywords: iran | protest flags |
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![Libyan flag]](../images/i/ir_che.jpg)
image located by Bill Garrison, 28 November 2022
From
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports:
While resembling the national flag of
Iran, this flag's logo in the middle of the white stripe is missing the usual
"Allah" symbol and is replaced with a multi-colored word "Iran" and to its left
near the flag's "hoist side" appears a faint gray image of a young "cheetah".
This cheetah-image is that of the endangered "Persian/Asiatic cheetah", now
surviving only in Iran/(Persia). Three rare cheetah cubs were born on 1 May 2022
at the Touran Wildlife Refuge, but only "Pirooz/Pirouz" ("Victor" -- as in
"victory") survived. He became a nationwide cheetah-logo that is being used in
two seemingly contradictory ways: (1) cited in the "Baraye" song protesting
Iran's police crackdown against women for failing to appropriately cover their
hair [and the beating death of Mahsa Amini], and (2) a pro-Iran-pride flag in
support of the Iranian soccer team participating in the "World Cup" soccer games
in Qatar (which is a sandy country northeast of Saudi Arabia) in Nov. 2022.
"Baraye" means "For" or "Because of"; sort of a "Because of the police
crackdown, we are demonstrating For freedom." {The song's lyrics are on the
internet.} Ironically, the police and protesters could be both waving this flag
at the same time. The police could wave it to rally "Victor" support for the
government, while the protesters wave it while demonstrating against the
government's stifling restrictions. In Iran, the cheetah is looked at as a sign
of life or freedom; hence, its use by protesters. This flag appeared on 25 Nov
2022 in Sadeghieh Square in Tehran, Iran, during a street celebration after Iran
defeated Wales [a hilly 'country' west of England] in Qatar's "World Cup" soccer
games. [The photograph's original caption read: "Two anti-riot police officers
wave the Iranian flags during a street celebration after Iran defeated Wales in
Qatar's World Cup, at Sadeghieh Sq. in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Nov. 25, 2022."]
Bill Garrison, 28 November 2022
![Libyan flag]](../images/i/ir_mahsa.jpg)
image located by Bill Garrison, 30 November 2022
From
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-u-s-emblem-world-cup-1.6665847:
A
black-field [a mourning color] flag with "Women, Life, Freedom, Mahsa Amini"
words in green/white/red colors (mimicking the colors of the Iran national
flag); as seen being held by Iranian soccer fans prior to a World Cup
soccer/football match between England and Iran, on Nov. 21, 2022, in Doha,
Qatar. (Alessandra Tarantino/The Associated Press).. "Mahsa Amini" was the young
Iranian woman who died on Sept. 16 while in Iranian police custody after being
arrested several days earlier for not sufficiently covering her hair in public.
Her death has sparked at least two months of public protests against the
authoritarian mullah-ruled regime.
Bill Garrison, 30 November 2022
![Libyan flag]](../images/i/ir_wlf.jpg)
image located by Bill Garrison, 30 November 2022
From
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/11/21/england-v-iran, a pro-freedom
protest flag (with "Woman Life Freedom" slogan) mimicking that of the Iran
national flag (but missing the usual Allah-tulip logo) at the Khalifa
Internation Stadium ahead of England v. Iran, at the FIFA World Cup
soccer/football cup on Nov. 21 in Doha, Qatar. (Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Bill Garrison, 30 November 2022
![Libyan flag]](../images/i/ir_wlf2.jpg)
image located by Bill Garrison, 30 November 2022
From
https://news.yahoo.com/mideast-tensions-spill-qatar-world-225831052.html, a
pro-Freedom protest flag (with a step-sloping "Women Life Freedom" slogan) and
by looking through the white stripe one can see that the word "IRAN" is printed
on the backside. It mimics the national flag of Iran, but is lacking the
normally-seen Allah-tulip logo. [Actually, it resembles the pre-1979 national
Iran flag.] Seen at the FIFA World Cup soccer/football cup on Nov. 21 in Doha,
Qatar.
Bill Garrison, 30 November 2022
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 14 March 2023
These protests are due to constant water and electricity cuts and shortages,
but also to advocate for women's rights as well. Some even mention that they
well may be a continuation of the 2019 gasoline price rises protests, since they
are related to energy (source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%932020_Iranian_protests)
The protests follow yet another set of previous demonstrations, such as the
general 2019–2020 Iranian protests (known as Bloody November), the general
strike 2018-2019 and the 2017–2018 protests against the economic policies of the country's
government.
Now,
the current (2022-2023) protests are in themselves a series of consecutive and
overlapping demonstrations:
- Food shortage (since May 2022-present) (source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Iranian_food_protests)
- Economic crisis,
lack of freedom of expression, violation of women's rights (since July
2021-present) (source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E2%80%932022_Iranian_protests)
- Mahsa
Amini protests (since September 2022-present) (source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahsa_Amini_protests)
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Iranian_protests
Regarding the (now)
most widely spread (both locally and internationally) and thus, relevant
demonstrations, the Mahsa Amini protests, they began in September 2022 but have also faced counter-demonstrations as well since the very beginning
(source: https://www.euronews.com/2022/09/24/iran-women).
Protestors
have used a wide variaty of flags during their rallies. Another flag frequently
used is the "State Flag 1964-1980" as seen here:
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk
(source), and explained
here: "Apparent pro-government supporters have waved it, shouting at those
demonstrating over Amini's death. Others at matches have waved Iran's lion and
sun flag, an emblem of its former ruler, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi."
(source:
https://www.npr.org).
Another flag used is the
People's Mojahedin Army, as seen in this video in
2022 (from 1:01 onwards): https://www.youtube.com
Also as already mentioned on the featured section, the main slogan is "Woman
Life Freedom", also seen in other languages across Europe and elsewhere (such as
"Mujer / Vida / Libertad" in Spanish, during demonstrations in Chile, as seen
here:
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk,
source). A variant of
this slogan is "Woman Life Liberty" (source:
https://www.youtube.com). Additionally, other languages are
featured as well, as seen in several cities across the globe: "But there are
some concerns about how the phrase is being used, which highlight historic
issues impacting Kurdish populations in Iran and the Middle East. “There's been
criticism from many Kurds, particularly many Kurdish women, that the slogan has
sometimes been separated from its Kurdish roots,” says Bodette, especially when
it is used by the international media, celebrities, brands and politicians. For
example, the words are occasionally only written in Persian or English, not
Kurdish", seen for instance in Berlin: "Protesters stand in front of the
Brandenburg Gate illuminated with the words "Woman, Life, Freedom" in various
languages, in Berlin, 13 December, 2022.
(image,
source)
There's one particular flag featured during these protests which seems
to feature some sort of anagram, which, according to this website featuring
several items for purchase with the same design pattern, is the slogan "women
life freedom" in farsi script (زن زندگی آزادی ) , pronounced Zan Zendegi Azadi.
It is claimed that this chant was first used by Kurdish women in their struggle
for both Kurdish independence
and confederalist movements (source:
https://en.wikipedia.org). Other sources mentioned
that it was also used during their fight with ISIS and
the subsequent establishment of self-rule in bordering Iraq and Syria (https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki).
Photos:
- cropped image from the original
located here:
https://cdn.wionews.com,
source
-
image 2, image 3,
image 4 (screenshots from
Euronews live broadcasted on January 16, 2023)
- flag shown above (cropped image from the original located here:
https://www.redbubble.com,
source)
-
slogan in Farsi script (cropped image from the original
located here:
https://ih1.redbubble.net,
source)
For additional
information go to Women Life Freedom (official website):
https://www.womanlifefreedom.today/
Esteban Rivera, 10 March 2023
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