Iranian-born actress Mona Afshar shares heartbreak over home country

Ms Afshar, who now lives in Western Australia, told ACM's Mandurah Mail she was heartbroken watching what was happening in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Mahsa died in custody after being arrested by Iran's 'morality police' and sent to a re-education camp for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the standards of the Iranian government.

Her death sparked outcry worldwide, and the response has been reported as one of the largest protests seen in Iran, with women cutting their hair and destroying hijabs in defiance of the conservative governmental regime.

Ms Afshar grew up in Tehran, the capital city where Mahsa's life ended.

She said the protests were nothing new, and that the 1979 revolution was where a lot of the issues had begun.

"We did not want an Islamic Republic, the majority voted against it," she said.

Ms Afshar said she believed the vote numbers were manipulated, and that many others held the same ideas.

"Women have been fighting for 43 years.

"From the beginning of the revolution women started protesting the mandatory hijab."

Ms Afshar claimed there were countless methods of intimidation used by the government to scare women into submission, including both threats and actions of violence.

She said to see young women being killed fighting for their freedom compelled her to speak out, despite her fear.

"It's horrible to look and see our youngest generations getting killed."

Ms Afshar said she had been particularly struck by the death of Nika Shahkarami, a 16-year-old girl who disappeared while protesting and was found dead on the street ten days later.

Local media reported that activists believe she died in police custody while authorities have denied wrongdoing.

"Who can stay silent?" Ms Afshar said.

"I lived there - I have lived the majority of my life under that oppression, I know the dark side of all of that. I know what the reality is.

"Who can see them kill an innocent girl for showing her hair a little bit and stay silent?"

Ms Afshar said she was desperate for local media organisations and politicians in Australia to "speak up" and use their voices to raise awareness about what is happening in Iran.

She, along with many other Iranians living in Australia, have organised protests and in early October 150 cities took part in one large protest.

"If there's a politician who really cares - say something in parliament, you have the microphone.

"We want a free, secular, democratic country where everyone is equal and can live their normal life.

"With the past two kings, there were things people wanted to change, but we never wanted what we have today - the revolution was stolen from them."

Professor Amin Saikal, adjunct professor of social sciences at the University of Western Australia's Centre for Muslim States and Societies recently published an article about Iran's protests.

He said his reading of the situation was that many of the Iranian public had built up grievances against the Islamic regime.

"Their grievances were very much based on serious economic, widespread corruption, lack of transparency and US sanctions which made life difficult for Iranians.

"Mahsa's death has acted as a trigger to invoke widespread disenchantment on the part of the public with the regime."

Professor Saikal said he believed the regime would "do everything possible to suppress uprisings" as this is what they have done in the past.

IN OTHER NEWS:

He said the use of force would not work and it was "imperative for the regime to open its fists and respond or address grievances of the public and engage in structural reforms".

While there have been protests periodically against the regime since 2009 and authorities were able to contain those protests, Professor Saikal said this uprising was "quite unprecedented".

"This is the first time the protest is led by Iranian women, particularly the younger generation of Iranian women.

"Let's not forget that the younger generation in general makes up something like 65 per cent of Iran's 85million population."

He said it was also the first time Iranian women had not only taken off their hijabs, but had burned them and "called for a downfall of the supreme leader and Islamic regime".

Professor Saikal said there was a "sizable Iranian community" in Australia, and that most of its members had grieved what was happening.

"The best thing to do from here is to show their feelings and emotions against what is really going on," he said.