Art As A Weapon Against Brutality

On 16 September 2022, Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, was killed by the Iranian morality police due to her 'improperly worn hijab'. A video of her passing out in hijab training classes right in front of many women arrested by same polices was published by the authorities to claim that her death was nothing but an accident, but the witnesses on the scene and other evidence proved she was beaten and despised by the officers and this caused her death.

Her death triggered massive protests and public grievances.

People of all ages crowded into sreets to show their anger at Mahsa's death as well as women's right violation in Iran.

Art,once more, as a delicate weapon against brutality and pressures, came to aid the protesters amplifying their message. It began to act like a common language to unite people from all over the world.

Protest art comes in many forms and mediums such as: illustration, animation, video art, music, anthems, poems, performance art, installation, and more.

One of the many artistic works done was a collage animated video that briefly shows the sufferings the Iranian people have experienced from childhood till this very day. In the end,
the person who filmed this video only as an observer was shot by the regime officers.

"" If we close our eyes on what is happening in Iran I'm next.. You're next.. We're next..," " L-Shan Mo, the director of this video, has cited and shared with the video on his Instagram page.

This video was published only twenty days after Mahsa Amini's death and was quickly spread out and reposted by millions of people. It didn't take long that over 10 million users saw the
video.

L-Shan is an Iranian director and filmmaker living in Turkey. He has published numerous videos since the protests started in Iran to support the upcoming revolution.

In a recent interview with One India, L-Shan explains : " I had to leave my birth country and dear ones behind more than 10 years ago due to my career and artistic activities that were not approved by Islamic regime.

I joined the street protesters in 2009 and now I continue supporting them using my art.

For the people who have left the country because of difficulties we have been through, it's hard to witness the young generation get hurt or die fighting for freedom.

The least we can afford doing is to be the voice of those living inside the country and under the pressure of authorities. We can always use art or any kind of mediums we have to make
the world hear and know the needs and problems of Iranian protesters."

The Iranian people used protest art as a means of showing disobedience since the limitations of speech and act could cause great death and prison penalties. Despite the fact that so many courageous citizens couldn't be frightened and stopped even by the cruel verdicts of the Islamic Republic.

For the past 43 years, all forms of art have been monitored and censored to be at the service of the Islamic Republic. Iranians cannot freely express their thoughts and ideas.

Therefore, the symbolism, metaphors, or other indirect tools are applied in artistic works
to express what is forbidden under the government rules and regulations.