In Iran, a woman shook the oppressive regime - Video

 

In Iran, a woman shook the oppressive regime to its core by undressing, disregarding all the brutal consequences that the regime could unleash upon her. This act continues the protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's murder, which led to over 500 deaths. Following these protests, the regime temporarily disbanded the morality police, only to reactivate them once control was reestablished. Yet even in this environment, for months now, some Iranian women have been individually protesting by refusing to wear the hijab. This Iranian student’s brave act met with vile comments on major social media platforms. We could sum up these comments under the headline of “Victim Blaming.” This woman was harassed at university by Basij forces, and she was protesting this treatment. She was, in essence, a victim—a symbol of the millions of Iranian women forced into a life of repression under mandatory hijab laws.

 

Let’s discuss victim blaming a bit. 

Victim blaming is a psychological and sociological phenomenon where people hold victims of misfortune, crime, or oppression responsible for the harm they experience. This allows people to make sense of the world while sustaining a sense of safety and control. By blaming the victim, they distance themselves from the possibility that such misfortunes could happen to them. In other words, these despicable people’s problem is not the morality of someone living in Iran or the regime's actions. 

These fools live in a place where violence can strike them at any moment, anywhere, and nothing can shield them from it. In this case, victim blaming becomes a way for them to feel secure. It’s as if they’re telling themselves, “If I stay quiet, no one will hurt me.” This can be explained by the Just World Hypothesis, which states that people fundamentally believe the world is a just place. According to this belief, everyone gets what they deserve. To preserve this worldview, they rationalize that the victim must have done something to deserve what happened to them.

As Erich Fromm suggested, in dangerous environments, people tend to give up their freedom as a means of self-preservation, as freedom demands personal responsibility and the willingness to take risks. In this situation, by showing aggression toward those who seek freedom, they create a sense of security for themselves.

When people are faced with the suffering of others, a tension arises between the belief that the world is a just place and the fact that suffering exists—this is called **cognitive dissonance**. To reduce this dissonance, some people resort to victim blaming to reinforce their worldview and protect their sense of order.

This can also apply to women themselves. This is known as internalized oppression, where individuals internalize societal norms and stereotypes and later, when they face abuse, blame themselves for what happened. 

Victim blaming reinforces unjust systems, destroys empathy with those who suffer, weakens collective solidarity, and hinders social progress. 

How the media presents such stories has a powerful influence as well, which is a topic for another video. But just remember, the next time you encounter people who blame the victim, don’t forget—they are cowardly, despicable beings.