Protests in Iran have reached a fever-pitch, to the extent that almost 100,000 people are rioting in the streets with around 15,000 people already jailed by the theocratic regime.

“There’s been a crisis in Islam since WWI with its relation to democracy, and until that issue is resolved it will be a problem,” said Bob Harrington, a World History teacher.

The Middle East has seen violence, protests, revolutions, wars, strife, and terrorism for the past few decades- especially in Iran, formerly known as Persia. 

“In 1953 our CIA toppled their government,” said Harrington.

The Iranian Revolution in 1979 brought an end to the pro-Western monarchist regime and instilled an anti-Western theocracy. That meant that Islamist religious figures were in charge of the government, and could inforce religion into direct law.

On Sept. 16, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was allegedly killed by police for improper wearing of her hijab, which violated an Iranian religious law. 

“I don’t think I would feel safe [in Iran] if I were a woman,” said Kalven  Navarrete ’23.

This has even spilled out into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with an awkward moment wherein the USA team played against the Iranian team. 

“The United States continues to find ways to support the Iranian people in the face of state-sponsored violence against women and a brutal crackdown against peaceful protestors,” the State Department told CNN. 

The U.S. soccer team briefly removed the Islamist symbol from the flag, which was received with much backlash from Iranian press. Many Iranian soccer players refused to sing the national anthem out of solidarity for the protesters.

But, more than a soccer issue, this is an issue among many different sides. Young versus old; authoritarianship versus the people; theocracy versus secularism; tradition versus progress; the west versus middle-east– all being played out before the world. The future of these protests are uncertain, but history suggests that it may turn into something much bigger.

Both the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of 1917 were started by women’s protests over rights and food. The French example directly led to Louis XVI coming under revolutionary control while the Russian example indirectly led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II.

However, many still believe that this won’t be the end of the current Iranian regime. Harrington said, “That government is still strong, so I don’t see it being toppled for a long time.”