Swedish Lawmaker Cuts Hair In Solidarity With Iranian Women

A Swedish member of the European Parliament chopped off her hair during a speech in the EU assembly in solidarity with anti-government demonstrations in Iran caused by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in morality police custody.

“Until Iran is free, our fury will be bigger than the oppressors. Until the women of Iran are free we are going to stand with you,” Iraqi-born Abir Al-Sahlani said in the parliament in Strasbourg, France. After her speech, she took a pair of scissors and shouted, “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” – Kurdish for “Woman, Life, Freedom” – as she snipped off her ponytail.

This was not the first time a woman cut off her hair in protest over Amini’s death. Leading French actresses including Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert have also cut locks of hair in support of protesters in Iran. “For freedom,” Binoche said as she hacked a large handful of hair off the top of her head with scissors before brandishing it in front of the camera.

From Turkish singer Melek Mosso on stage last week to women in Lebanon and Syria to Swedish lawmaker Abir Al-Sahlani in the halls of the European Parliament – women around the world come forward to show their support for Iranian women.

“For women to cut their hair in Iran is a form of protest … a symbol to stand against the mandatory hijab,” said Dorna Javan, an Iranian political scientist based in France. “Such a visual gesture is a way for women worldwide to rally around the Iranian women’s plight,” she added.