NC State students support Iranian women after headscarf deaths

Two events are planned Monday in the Triangle in support of Iranian protests for women that have attracted worldwide attention.

Posted 4:15 p.m. Sep 26, 2022 — Updated 3:50 a.m. Sep 27, 2022

RALEIGH, N.C. — Two events were held Monday in the Triangle in support of Iranian protests for women that have attracted worldwide attention.

At 10 a.m., students at North Carolina State University gathered at the Student Union to stand in solidarity with the protests underway. Some even cut their hair to show support for Iranian women.

Dozens of protesters have been killed in the country as they call for justice and an end to the "morality police."

The Associated Press reports women in Iran have spent days protesting against their government after a young woman died in police custody over a violation of the country's strict religious dress code.

According to The Associated Press, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest for wearing her headscarf improperly.

The Associated Press reports Amini was detained Sept. 13 for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of strictures demanding women in public wear the Islamic headscarves. She died three days later in police custody; authorities said she had a heart attack but hadn't been harmed. Her family has disputed that, leading to the public outcry.

Women in Iran have been required to wear a headscarf and loose clothing while in public since 1979.

WRAL News spoke with Simin Pouya, an Iranian woman who lives in the Triangle and is planning a vigil Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the steps of the Wake County Justice Center at 300 S. Salisbury St. in Raleigh in support of the protests.

"It has been 44 years my people have been suffering from this government, these leaders," Pouya described.

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