St John’s Episcopal church, on Edinburgh’s Princes Street have revealed their latest mural this weekend, titles ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ in support of ongoing protests in Iran.
On their Facebook page, the Church shared a picture of their mural, depicting an Iranian woman, Nasibe Samsaei, cutting her hair while surrounded by the handprints of members of the public, eager to show their support for the protests.
Alongside the picture, the post said:
“Our mural standing with women leading the uprising against injustice and again the oppressive regime in Iran. Women. Life. Freedom.”
Katrina Faccenda, local councillor for Edinburgh’s Leith Ward, contributed to the mural amongst other Edinburgh women in a show of solidarity to those protesting in Iran, as well as their sisters keeping the campaign up in Scotland.
Pictured adding her own red handprint to the artwork, @KatrinaFeccenda tweeted:
“Supporting this campaign is the least we can do. Thank you @StJohnPrincesSt, solidarity with the amazing Iranian women in Scotland who are making sure that the ongoing revolution and brutal repression of protestors stays in the news.”
Following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of Iranian ‘morality police’ this September, Iran has erupted in protests against state modesty laws, with women leading the charge.
Playing a prominent role in demonstrations, women in Iran have been filmed waving and burning veils, with some publicly cutting their hair in direct challenge of the country’s strict morality laws.
Since the outbreak of protests in September, the UN Human Rights Office have counted the official number of murdered protestors in Iran at over 300, including 40 children.
‘Women, Life, Freedom’ has become a revolutionary slogan, mimicked by women in support around the world.
Since 1982, St John’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh have produced murals that have provided a piecing social commentary of social, political, and religious issues over time.
Some of St Johns most thought-provoking murals include Christmas 2016’s ‘For Unto Us a Child is Born’, which pictured Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old Syrian boy who washed up on a Turkish beach after drowning alongside his mother in a migration attempt.
The reveal of their latest mural, as well as the swathes of protestors it attracted this Sunday, is a symbol of St John’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh’s ongoing support for Iranian women protesting state oppression worldwide.
