“The Lord is our judge and will save us.”
[Sep.26.2022]Protests against Iranian government over the death of a 20-year-old woman after being arrested by the police for not wearing a hijab have spread across Iran. According to foreign media such as the New York Times (NYT), violent protests took place in 80 Iranian cities on the 24th (local time).
According to the scene reported through eyewitnesses and social media (SNS), security forces opened fire on the protesters in various places, including the capital Tehran. Police threw tear gas at an apartment complex in Tehran and opened fire at a window. Protesters beat security forces, set fire to cars, and blew up the headquarters of the morality police, a dedicated unit that enforces strict dress codes for women.
Al Jazeera reported that Iranian state TV stated that at least 41 people have been killed since the protests began on the 17th of September. The actual death toll may be higher as it has not yet been officially counted. According to the AFP news agency, 739 people, including 60 women, were arrested in one of Iran’s 31 provinces.
The protests began on the 16th when an Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, (22), died while being interrogated by the police for not wearing a hijab properly. Not only women but also men protested the death of a woman in her 20s by burning hijabs. But now, the New York Times analyzed that it is spreading into a movement to oust the Iranian leadership, holding them accountable for corruption, political repression, and economic crisis.
According to the newspaper, slogans like “death to the dictator” are appearing at dozens of protest sites, including the University of Tehran. Pouring out the anger of the Iranian people toward the political leaders over the political and economic crisis due to the repeated failures of reform was sparked by this incident.
The fact that various groups are participating in this protest for the first time since the founding of the Republic of Iran also shows widespread public anger. Ali Baez, head of Iran’s International Crisis Group, said: “The younger generation has nothing to lose and no hope for the future, so they are not hesitating to take risks.”
Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Laishi said in an interview with state TV on the same day that he would take a decisive response to those who threaten national security and peace. (source: Kookmin Ilbo).
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. (Isaiah 33:22)
God, have mercy and reign over Iran, where protests triggered by a woman’s unjust death spread out of control. Destroy Satan’s scheme that stirs up the hearts of the people and entices them to use violence, and let the souls who crave justice know the Lord, the true presiding judge. At a time when there is a crack in trust in Islamic customs and governance, pray that the church of this land will wisely preach the gospel so that the people of Iran will be saved by the word of the good Lord forever.
Prayer 24·365
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