The Forward Backs Up Tousi About What's Going On In Iran

 Nadene Goldfoot                                         

Tehran, Iran A picture obtained by AFP on Sept. 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators burning a rubbish bin in the capital Tehran. AFP/Getty Images 
             

The Forward played it carefully, calling it a protest.  Out of a touch of memory loss for words, I called it "War." for it sounded more like a war to me.  It's common for writers to call it things like a rumble or protest.  The Forward (Yiddish: פֿאָרווערטס, romanized: Forṿerṭs), formerly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper,

Iranian cities are engulfed in anti-regime protests, the largest in several years. Initially sparked by economic frustration, the demonstrations have quickly expanded to include broader grievances — particularly anger at Iran’s foreign policy. 

One chant heard repeatedly in videos circulating from inside Iran captures that anger succinctly: “Neither Gaza, nor for Lebanon — my life is only for Iran.”

Many protesters are also calling for the return of the Pahlavi dynasty, which ruled Iran until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Videos shared online show protesters chanting slogans in favor of the former monarchy or displaying symbols associated with it, including the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag.

Now, protesters in Iran are kissing their lives good-bye, knowing they can be shot for it and evidently the government has been doing a lot of that.  So I believe they are calling it a Revolution in their own language because both will be punished the same-with death.  Iran has had many Revolutions, and this one seems to be the biggest-even though no one here recognizes it as such.  

It wasn't that long ago when this Revolution happened:  The 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini (also known as Jina Amini), died on September 16, 2022, after being detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Her death sparked the nationwide "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests/revolution that same month, challenging the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code (September 2022)  Remember that.  

Today, many Iranians see a collapsing economy. On Dec. 28, the Iranian rial — the country’s currency — plunged against the U.S. dollar, intensifying a long-running economic crisis marked by soaring prices and an annual inflation rate of around 40 percent. (Their rial is worth nothing.  The young people have no money, jobs, water, or food.  They don't have much reason to live.

• Reports indicate a network linked to Israel has been working to shape the narrative of the protests, including hijacking hashtags like #FreeThePersianPeople, to support the uprising.  (Protests, now uprising, it's all the Revolution!  
• From 
  Shimon Sherman

  Shimon Sherman is a columnist covering global security, Middle Eastern affairs, and geopolitical developments. His reporting provides in-depth analysis on topics such as the resurgence of ISIS, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, judicial reforms in Israel, and the evolving landscape of militant groups in Syria and Iraq. With a focus on investigative journalism and expert interviews, his work offers critical insights into the most pressing issues shaping international relations and security.
• January 16, 2026:  Over the past three weeks, a wave of protests has swept across all 31 provinces of the Islamic Republic and threatened to extinguish the flame of Khomeini’s revolution. 
• At first, the strike of the merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar seemed a natural expression of frustration with Iran’s collapsing economic position, but these minor civil disturbances quickly flared into an all-out political revolt, drawing broad international attention and bringing out millions of people into the streets. (I'd call it a 
• Revolution).  1.
  a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system.

  They might all die trying, but that's what their intent is:  getting rid of the Ayatollahs system.  Prince Pahlavi explained how they will have the time to decide on the method they want in its place and vote for what they want. 
• It's time for our reporters in the USA try to get in and report on this Revolution.  Wear the gear for it !  Come on Sherman, be the first!!! 
• 2/2/2026  6:45am ;  have another source: israpundit.org. which is, according to AI, 
• It was generally categorized under "pro-Israel blogs," "conservative commentary on Israel," or "right-wing Israeli news commentary."
• Usage Examples: It was historically used to aggregate news stories and provide opinion pieces, serving as a platform for viewpoints critical of left-wing media coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Resource:

https://www.israpundit.org/iran-the-mosques-are-burning-and-so-is-the-lie-of-the-islamic-state/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forward

https://iranhumanrights.org/2024/09/a-quiet-revolution-continues-in-iran-two-years-after-the-woman-life-freedom-uprising/#:~:text=September%2011%2C%202024%20%E2%80%93%20Two%20years,repression%20of%20the%20Islamic%20Republic.

https://forward.com/news/796129/why-protests-in-iran-seem-surprisingly-pro-israel/

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/irans-revolution-40-years-on-israels-reverse-periphery-doctrine/-- food for thought, not for this exact article, though:  The Brookings Institution is committed to quality, independence, and impact.We are supported by a diverse array of funders. In line with our values and policies, each Brookings publication represents the sole views of its author(s).

Iran Riots Over Death of Young Kurdish Woman,, Mahsa Amini

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

On 16 September 2022, a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini , died in a hospital in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstances.  She was arrested, and taken away by Iran's religious morality police  for wearing her head covering a little too far back, exposing some of her hair.  All this happened in Tehran for "improperly" wearing her hijab.  She was still in police custody when she died.  

Upon hearing of the hijab law in 1979, women were appalled.

Iran introduced a mandatory dress code for women, in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic standards, a short time after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. On 7 March, less than a month after the revolution, Khomeini decreed the hijab (Islamic headscarf) to be mandatory for all women in their workplace, and decreed that women would no longer be allowed to enter the workplace or any government office unveiled, which he termed as "naked".

Violence and harassment against women not wearing the hijab in accordance with Iranian government standards had become common after the revolution, whether by law enforcement personnel or pro-regime vigilantes. From 1980, women could not enter government or public buildings or attend their workplace without hijab. In 1983, mandatory hijab in public was introduced in the penal code, stating that "women who appear in public without religious hijab will be sentenced to whipping up to 74 lashes". But in practice a number of women, such as Saba Kord Afshari and Yasaman Aryani, were sentenced to heavy prison terms.

In the last decade, clothing in Iranian society underwent significant changes, and young women in particular tend to be more liberal about hijab rules, prompting the Guidance Patrol, Iran's morality police, to launch intermittent campaigns to verbally admonish or violently arrest and "re-educate" women they considered to be wearing the hijab incorrectly. 

Under routine circumstances, the detainees are brought to a center where they are re-instructed in the dress regulations for hours, before being made to sign a pledge to uphold said regulations, and then being allowed to leave with their family.
"What happened this time?  Was it because she was a Kurd? 

The Iranian government insisted that Amini died from a heart attack, but reports indicate she died from a skull fracture due to heavy blows to the head. People believe she was beaten into a coma.  

People from different layers of the society across Iran have joined protests since Amini, an Iranian Kurd, died after being detained in Tehran on Sept. 13 for "inappropriate attire".

Sixteen or Seventeen years old, Nika is now dead.  

The death of a 17-year-old girl since the start of the protests has become another focal point of protester anger, with activists on Twitter saying Nika Shakarami was killed in Tehran while demonstrating over Amini's death. State media said on Wednesday a judicial case had been opened into Shakarami's death, citing officials claiming it had nothing to do with the unrest, and that she had fallen off a roof and her body contained no bullet wounds.                                       

Most homes in Iran have flat roofs, even acting as streets.  Here is a musician on the top of one roof.  Notice her hijab exposing some hair.  It would be very hard to keep any scarf from not slipping back.  The morality police should wear a scarf and see how long it stays put without slipping.  

Relatives of a girl who died during protests in Iran have been forced into making false statements, a source close to the family has told BBC Persian.

Nika Shakarami, 16, went missing in Tehran on 20 September after telling a friend she was being chased by police.  On Wednesday night, a state TV report showed her aunt, Atash, saying: "Nika was killed falling from a building."   Her uncle was also seen on TV speaking against the unrest, as someone seems to whisper to him: "Say it, you scumbag!"

The source told BBC Persian that these were both "forced confessions" that came "after intense interrogations and being threatened that other family members would be killed".  Atash and Nika's uncle, Mohsen, were detained by authorities after Atash posted messages online about her niece's death and spoke to the media. The televised statements were recorded before they were released, according to the source.                              

  Iranian Kurdish women - hijabs aren't working so well

 

Kurds in Iran constitute a large minority in the country with a population of around 9 and 10 million people. Iran is the 6th most populated Muslim majority country in the world with 76, 923,300 with Indonesia being the first with 228,582,000., and this was back in 2011.

Their original home was in Kurdistan, a mountainous region now divided among Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The campaign of Iraqi government against Kurds in 1988 was called Anfal ("Spoils of War") The Anfal attacks led to destruction of two thousand villages and death of between 50 and 100,000 Kurds. After the Kurdish uprising in 1991 (Kurdish: Raperîn) led by the PUK and KDP, Iraqi troops recaptured the Kurdish areas and hundreds of thousand of Kurds fled to the borders.

 Jews had gone into Kurdistan as early as the time of Ezra(5th century BCE) led Jews of Babylon back to Jerusalem.  Kurdish Jews speak a language close to that of the Babylonian Talmud.  A Jewish community living in Kurdistan toward the end of the 19th century numbered from 12,,000 to 18,000.  This could be why the DNA of Kurds is the closest to the Jews.  After 1948, the great majority of Kurdish Jews, from all areas, immigrated to Israel and settled in or near Jerusalem.  

Kurds have been taking on ISIS in battle and winning.   The region’s Kurds are emerging as important players. Kurdish groups, from the peshmerga of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, and even Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers’ Party, have been on the front lines in the fight against ISIS. Kurds are also playing an important role in sheltering refugees and protecting other minorities in the region.

Resource:

https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-summons-british-envoy-alleging-uk-meddling-unrest-2022-10-05/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Mahsa_Amini#:~:text=On%2016%20September%202022%2C%20a,%2C%20Iran%2C%20under%20suspicious%20circumstances.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/06/iran-protests-nika-shakarami-mahsa/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds_in_Iran

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Kurds#:~:text=The%20Anfal%20attacks%20led%20to,Kurds%20fled%20to%20the%20borders.