Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: Honourable senators, I rise today to strongly condemn the actions of the so-called morality police in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini. I wish to echo the rage of my sisters in Iran who, as we speak, face violence and death for upholding their rights.

I cannot hide my anger at the pointlessness of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody two weeks ago. The 22-year-old woman was detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely. I want to stress that women’s bodies have been policed in Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when authorities imposed a dress code requiring all women to wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing that disguises their figures in public.

As a practising Muslim woman, I am angry to see men justify this oppression under the guise of religion. The Quran clearly states that “there is no compulsion in religion, the right direction is clearly distinguished from the wrong.”

Yet, the Iranian morality police, or the Gasht-e Ershad, have the authority to stop women and assess their appearance. Women who do not respect authorities’ interpretation of proper clothing may be fined, imprisoned or even flogged. This goes against the very basis of the religion they pretend to uphold. Muslims learn from a young age that God is the only judge.

How dare these men condemn women for how they dress in public. This obsession with controlling women’s bodies must cease.

Across Iran, protesters have been chanting “woman, life, freedom” while facing brutal retaliation from police. I want to highlight the resilience and courage of women who continue to push back against discriminatory laws across the country. I cannot stay silent while my sisters risk their lives by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in the streets. At least 57 women have died during the protests, and the death toll will surely continue to rise.

It is shocking that some Iranians in the midst of such violence are calling for protesters to be silenced.

Honourable colleagues, I stand in solidarity with the Muslim women forced to wear, or to remove, their hijab. Women have a right to agency over their own bodies, and no man should ever tell a woman what to wear. Thank you.