{"id":145434,"date":"2022-10-20T12:12:10","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T10:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=145434"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:28","slug":"woman-life-freedom-students-show-solidarity-with-iranian-and-afghan-women-at-markthal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/10\/20\/woman-life-freedom-students-show-solidarity-with-iranian-and-afghan-women-at-markthal\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Woman, life, freedom’: students show solidarity with Iranian and Afghan women at Markthal"},"content":{"rendered":"

A group of around seventy students gathered next to the Markthal on Monday afternoon for a protest march in solidarity with women and students in Iran and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

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Students show solidarity with oppressed women in Iran and Afghanistan.<\/span><\/p>

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Some of the students were there for personal reasons, whilst others simply wished to show solidarity with the plight of the people in Iran and Afghanistan. The students spent two hours shouting \u2018Zan, zendegi, azadi\u2019 (\u2018Woman, life, freedom\u2019). \u201cIt\u2019s important for students to speak out now. Particularly in view of the university\u2019s conspicuous silence yet again.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Juliette Douet too had a small placard featuring the text \u201cWoman, life, freedom.\u201d <\/span><\/p>

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The protest started after the protesters congregated on Blaak. It was still quiet shortly before five o\u2019clock, but then a deluge of students emerged from the Willem de Kooning Academy building holding banners and posters bearing the words \u2018Woman, life, freedom\u2019 in all languages. The group in front of the Markthal grew bigger and bigger, reaching around seventy people just after five o\u2019clock. EUC student Juliette Douet is one of the initiators: \u201cI know several women from Iran and Afghanistan myself and so I think it\u2019s important to be here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

While a number of concise statements from students in Iran were read out in front of the Markthal and a song by an Iranian rap star was played, Douet talked to us about the protest. \u201cWe\u2019re here to make it clear that this is a big issue and that the way in which women are treated in Iran is unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

'Not about my hair'<\/h2>
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Ja\u00efr wants to stand up for anyone who is being oppressed. <\/span><\/p>

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Sociology student Ja\u00efr joined the protest too. His reasons for doing so today include a personal one: \u201cI\u2019m from a colonised nation, Aruba, and I see the lasting effects of colonialism and imperialism and the way in which people are oppressed. That is why I want to show as much solidarity as possible with other people who have it tough and are being oppressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from Turkey, so I grew up with the idea of oppression\u201d, said EUC student Deniz Hakman as the march got started. \u201cIt\u2019s good that the subjugation of women in Iran and Afghanistan is now getting so much coverage in the West, as people here can\u2019t imagine what it\u2019s like over there at the moment.\u201d She stressed that people in the Netherlands could learn a lot from this protest march, \u201cThe Dutch often think that headscarves are oppressive, and that that\u2019s what we\u2019re protesting against. But they\u2019re missing the bigger picture.\u201d During the march, this was explained several times with a slogan\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not about my hair, it\u2019s about my voice. It\u2019s not about my body, it\u2019s about my choice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Change<\/h2>
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Jasper sees positive change in Iran. <\/span><\/p>

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As the demonstration headed towards Beurs, sociology student Jasper Schut explained that he is taking part not only in solidarity but also out of political interest. \u201cI find the intersectional aspect really unique. The fact that even the Iranian labour movement is standing up for women\u2019s rights, for instance.\u201d This is a reference to a statement on women\u2019s rights made by oil workers in Iran shortly before the march. \u201cI get the feeling that\u2019s a pretty new phenomenon. I also know students in Iran who are all extremely critical of the political status quo, so the wind of change is definitely blowing throughout the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t