Shirin Neshat’s images opened a dialogue about the role of women and their bodies, the rejection of Western imperialism and the idea of martyrdom
Three decades ago, the Shirin Neshat angered the government of Iran with the photos of the heroic women who lived through the revolution. Their defiance echoes today’s brave female protesters Mahsa Amini.
Awoman looks at us, wearing the chador and holding the barrel of a gun to her face. She is defiant, determined, combative, brave. The work’s title, “Revolutionary Silence,” alludes to her quiet sense of power. Her steady gaze suggests conviction and faith. Opposite her face is a poem, which refers to the laws enacted during the Iranian revolution of 1979. “The written text is the voice of the photograph,” said artist Shirin Neshat. “Breaks the still woman’s silence.”
Having lived in exile from Iran for 11 years, separated from her family, Neshat returned to the country of her birth in 1990. She had left as a teenager, when the foundations of the Islamic revolution were being laid, and continued her studies in the US. When she returned, her country had been transformed.
Interested in engaging with the stories of the women who lived through and shaped the revolution, as well as connecting culturally and emotionally with her heritage, Nesat picked up her camera. Conducting interviews, reading and talking with friends, she collected all her material in the books: “Revelation” and “Women of Allah”.
Her images opened a dialogue about the role of women and their bodies, the rejection of Western imperialism and the idea of martyrdom. The results are full of contradictory symbols: violence and femininity, power and submission, religion and politics, love and death.
“The weapon suggested the violence that accompanies the Islamic regime, the veil, both as a symbol of oppression for those opposed to the mandatory hijab, and as subjugation for ultra-religious women,” she notes.
During the reign of Reza Shah in 1925-41, women were forcibly exposed. After the 1979 revolution, they were subjected to compulsory hijab laws. Today, they protest bravely.
In recent weeks, hundreds of protests have erupted in the streets of Iran following the death of Mahsha Amini. She was a 22-year-old woman who, while visiting Tehran with her family, was stopped by the police for wearing her hijab in an “inappropriate” manner. Amini was taken to a detention center and died three days later under suspicious circumstances while in police custody.
In a practical show of solidarity with Amini, women across Iran – and the world – cut their hair, tore their headscarves, burned their hijabs and staged demonstrations. While the Iranian government has blocked access to the internet, videos circulating on social media document one of the most important revolutions for women in modern times. These videos also reveal the horrific violence, panic and fear caused to the protesters.
The poem written on the woman’s face is by Tahereh Saffarzadeh.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
