{"id":1661893,"date":"2022-09-28T08:02:52","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T12:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1661893"},"modified":"2022-09-28T08:05:32","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T12:05:32","slug":"will-biden-and-the-squad-really-stand-up-for-women-like-iranian-mahsa-amini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-biden-and-the-squad-really-stand-up-for-women-like-iranian-mahsa-amini\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Biden And \u2018The Squad\u2019 Really Stand Up For Women Like Iranian Mahsa Amini?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwill-biden-and-the-squad-really-stand-up-for-women-like-iranian-mahsa-amini%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1661893&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>A young woman\u2019s death in police custody for not complying with Iran\u2019s strict dress code has sparked mass protest in that country and worldwide condemnation of the Iranian government. Yet Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., known as \u201cthe squad,\u201d have remained unusually quiet. What happened to these self-proclaimed defenders of women\u2019s rights and warriors against patriarchy?<\/p>\n<p>Mahsa Amini, a beautiful 22-year-old Iranian woman, died on Sept. 16 in Tehran after the so-called \u201cmorality police\u201d arrested and beat her for the crime of \u201cunsuitable attire\u201d \u2014 she\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-middle-east-62984076\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allegedly<\/a>\u00a0had some hair visible under her headscarf. Since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the Iranian government has mandated that women cover their hair with hijabs and wear loose-fitting clothes in public. Those who fail to comply have been treated like criminals and often faced severe punishment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Masih Alinejad, a U.S.-based Iranian activist, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlinejadMasih\/status\/1573276733683662848\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a>, \u201conly in one year, the morality police arrested 3.6 million women in Iran.\u201d While it is difficult to independently verify the exact number of Iranian women arrested by the morality police, what is evident is that the Iranian government has intensified its oppression of women. Last month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi imposed even\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-middle-east-62984076\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more restrictions<\/a>\u00a0on Iranian women, including using \u201csurveillance cameras to monitor and fine unveiled women or refer them for \u2018counseling,\u2019 and a mandatory prison sentence for any Iranian who questioned or posted content against the hijab rules online,\u201d the BBC reported.<\/p>\n<p>The Iranian regime did not expect its medieval dress code and heavy-handed enforcement would be so unpopular with Iranians. Amini\u2019s death has become the canary in the coal mine and sparked nationwide\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/protests-spread-across-iran-over-womans-death-in-police-detention-11663621645?page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mass protests<\/a>. Many Iranian women demonstrated their solidarity with Amini by posting\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-11239271\/Iranian-women-hack-hair-burn-hijabs-ten-protesters-die.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">images of cutting their own hair and burning their hijabs<\/a>, and many Iranian men joined their resistance. Some protesters chanted \u201cdeath to the dictator.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Iranian government responded with an iron fist. At least 57 protesters were killed, according to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rferl.org\/a\/iran-amini-protests-57-people-dead\/32052828.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Iran Human Rights Organization<\/a>. Alinejad said in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlinejadMasih\/status\/1573212392926113792\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Twitter thread<\/a>\u00a0that some victims were young women like Amini. Many protesters were also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/protests-spread-across-iran-over-womans-death-in-police-detention-11663621645?page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a>\u00a0either injured or arrested by the government. The Iranian government shut down the nation\u2019s Internet service to cover up the truth of the protests and its own brutality. The last time Tehran cut off the Internet was in November 2019, when Iranians protested against the country\u2019s failing economy. Then, the Iranian government\u2019s lethal crackdown left at least 304 people dead, Amnesty International\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/press-release\/2020\/11\/iran-internet-deliberately-shut-down-during-november-2019-killings-new-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>The Biden Administration\u2019s Empty Gestures<\/h2>\n<p>The Iranian government is facing international condemnation over Amini\u2019s death and the government\u2019s brutal response to protesters. The Biden administration\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/09\/23\/us-puts-sanctions-on-iran-morality-police-accusing-unit-of-abusing-women.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">imposed sanctions<\/a>\u00a0on Iran\u2019s morality police, and the U.S. Treasury also imposed sanctions on several high-level Iranian military and security officials. But these actions seem like empty gestures for two reasons. First, the Biden administration wouldn\u2019t deny Iranian President Raisi\u2019s entry to the United States to attend the United Nations meeting in New York City, despite a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/lawmakers-urge-biden-deny-iranian-president-entry-gross-violations-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">request<\/a> by a bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers. Raisi took advantage of his U.N. speech to shamefully <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/iranian-president-speaks-justice-un-protests-consume-country-demands-regime-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proclaim<\/a> that the Iranian government always fights against injustice.<\/p>\n<p>Second, the Biden administration continues its nuclear negotiations with Iran. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/biden-plans-continue-iran-deal-talks-despite-regimes-brutal-crackdown-1746108\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed<\/a>, \u201cThe fact that we are in negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program is in no way impacting our willingness and our vehemence in speaking out about what is happening on the streets of Iran.\u201d\u00a0Unfortunately, few see it that way.<\/p>\n<p>By being unwilling to walk away from negotiating with Tehran, the Biden administration has already lost its credibility and the moral high ground. Why should Tehran change its behaviors when the Biden administration is so desperate to reach a deal? The sanctions relief provided by the Biden administration as part of the nuclear agreement will likely sustain the current Iranian regime, giving it even greater ability to suppress the human rights of Iranianians, <a href=\"https:\/\/ussanews.com\/2022\/09\/26\/u-s-general-bidens-handlers-sanctions-relief-for-iran-will-aid-mullahs-assassination-plots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fund regional terror groups, and endanger Americans<\/a> abroad. Most importantly, many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/middle-east\/commentary\/4-reasons-why-returning-iran-nuclear-deal-bad-idea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">predict<\/a> the nuclear deal will not stop Iran from building nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n<h2>Some Women Take a Stand, Some Are Silent<\/h2>\n<p>During his stay in New York City, Iran\u2019s president Raisi was scheduled to have a sit-down interview with CNN\u2019s Christiane Amanpour. According to Amanpour\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amanpour\/status\/1572928521227436033\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Twitter thread<\/a>, Raisi\u2019s aide demanded Amanpour wear a hijab during the interview. Amanpour said she declined the request and walked away because \u201cWe are in New York, where there is no law or tradition regarding headscarves.\u201d Amanpour won wide praise for taking a stand. But the four \u201csquad\u201d congresswomen have been noticeably silent about Amini\u2019s death, the government\u2019s compulsory law on hijabs, and women\u2019s rights in Iran.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These four congresswomen have branded themselves as defenders of women\u2019s rights. They\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/video.search.yahoo.com\/search\/video;_ylt=AwrgwyiW6y1jMXsPXDdXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzMEdnRpZANMT0NVSTA1NV8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=aoc+pretends+to+be+handcuffed&amp;ei=UTF-8&amp;fp=1&amp;fr=yfp-t-s&amp;turl=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOVP.ivfdHAYvFvVoD4H\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pretended to be arrested<\/a>\u00a0in July at a rally protesting the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s ruling overturning <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em>. Despite their professional success, which resembles some of the best examples of the American Dream, the squad never hesitates to criticize the United States and cast it and people who disagree with them politically in the worst light possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Omar\u2019s Vile Words<\/h2>\n<p>Last year, Omar\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ilhan\/status\/1401985884191404041?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">compared<\/a> the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban\u00a0by claiming, \u201cWe must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet, Omar has remained silent over Iran\u2019s human rights abuses. Instead, she focuses her criticism on Alinejad. In 2020, Alinejad\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlinejadMasih\/status\/1215672479022223360?s=20&amp;t=EADBSien3kZlMseCgRw1ZQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a>, \u201cIlhan Omar shared a defamatory article about me on social media by a Koch-Brothers funded \u2018think tank\u2019 co-founded by a known sympathizer of the Iranian regime.\u201d Last year, after Alinejad penned an article opposing Omar\u2019s anti-Islamophobia bill, political consultant Tim Mynett, Omar\u2019s husband, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timmynett\/status\/1486354013612302338?s=21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a> of Masih, \u201cthis lady \u2026 doesn\u2019t like Muslims.\u201d Are either of them aware that Masih Alinejad survived several likely\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/07\/31\/nypd-arrest-man-with-ak-47-outside-of-iranian-journalist-masih-alinejads-nyc-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assassination attempts<\/a>\u00a0by the Iranian government because of her activism and outspokenness?<\/p>\n<p>It seems that the four progressive congresswomen are only vocal about defending women\u2019s rights and social justice when they get to criticize the United States and when their activism is politically beneficial (<a href=\"https:\/\/video.foxnews.com\/v\/6309788737112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ocasio-Cortez started fundraising immediately after posting her fake handcuffing video<\/a>). They are known to be\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblaze.com\/news\/ilhan-omar-blames-us-for-venezuela\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sympathetic to foreign authoritarian regimes and dictators<\/a>, and somehow they always find a way to blame the United States for miseries in other nations caused by their dictatorial governments. For example, when asked about Venezuela\u2019s economic hardship and social unrest, Ocasio-Cortez\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independentsentinel.com\/aoc-condemns-america-when-asked-about-dictator-maduro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">condemned<\/a>\u00a0the United States rather than Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2019\/05\/02\/ilhan-omar-blames-us-for-venezuela-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">So did Omar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So we shouldn\u2019t be surprised that we haven\u2019t heard any of these four progressive congresswomen condemning the Iranian regime\u2019s gross violation of women\u2019s rights. Next time, when any of these four slams the U.S. as the worst country for women and says American women live like handmaidens, will someone in the press please ask if the congresswoman will say Mahsa Amini\u2019s name?<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">\n  Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She&#8217;s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News.  Helen is the author of several books, including &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Confucius-Never-Said-Helen-Raleigh\/dp\/1499185278\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Helen+Raleigh+Confucius+Never+Said&amp;qid=1606079469&amp;sr=8-1\">Confucius Never Said<\/a>&#8221; and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Backlash-How-Chinas-Aggression-Backfired\/dp\/1736008501\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1606006113&amp;sr=8-1\">Backlash: How Communist China&#8217;s Aggression Has Backfired<\/a>.&#8221; Follow her on Parler and Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A young woman\u2019s death in police custody for not complying with Iran\u2019s strict dress code has sparked mass protest in that country and worldwide condemnation of the Iranian government. Yet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":536,"featured_media":1661895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1661893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1661893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/536"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1661893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1661893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1661895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1661893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1661893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1661893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}