Protests erupted weeks ago in Iran when Mahsa Amini, a 22 year old woman, reportedly refused to comply with Iran’s female dress code, not putting on her head scarf. This should put the 'abortion on demand as a human right' debate into perspective. Some protestors have turned violent, burning buildings, disrupting the piece, and even attacking other protestors with knives. Perhaps we can understand why women are likewise burning their headscarves and kissing men on the street in defiance of Iran’s oppressive laws. However, we can also understand where such ideas came from even if Iran’s government maintains only the enforcement of archaic traditions. Women traditionally cover their heads as a sign of dignity and respect for themselves and their husbands. Men traditionally have been allowed multiple women as wives, not for fun, but to prevent women from being left destitute. These men had the responsibly of providing for women or facing similar harsh punishments.

Ironically, the U.S. and Canada have both condemned the Iranian regimes response to protestors just months after have enforcing their own harsh policies on protesters of all types. Canada even put sanctions on Iran and banned officials from entering the country. Reports originally stated that 15,000 protestors were sentenced to death when the real number was closer to a dozen, though over a 1 thousand have been indicted. The few sentenced to death were burning buildings, disturbing public order, committing a crime against national security and for being “an enemy of God and corruption on Earth.” We can understand both resistance to government and the government’s response hopefully. However, what is hard to grasp is why President Biden’s top national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the U.S. was concerned about “mass arrests, sham trials, and now a death sentence for protestors” voicing concerns over a denial of “basic dignity and freedom to its people.” Ironically the U.S. has recently organized mass arrests, held sham trials for former presidents and radio hosts, and socially sentenced political prisoners to death.

Likewise, Canada and the U.S. condemned Iran, the second leading country for executions, while going dark about executions and human rights violations in the world’s leading country - China. Further irony is found in 1 Corinthians 11 2:16 which states: “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.” Even further irony can be found in the fact that while western media attacks Kyrie Irving, Kanye West, and Dave Chappell over anti-semitism, when they have simply addressed political zionism, media has been silent about how both Palestinians and Iranians are semitic people. Perhaps the most irony can be found in American women complaining from expensive universities how they are the people truly oppressed in the world.