The use of social media platforms has enabled Iran's generation Z to defy the government and lead nationwide protests that have caught international attention, experts told The National on Wednesday.
Generation Z, colloquially known as "Zoomers", refers to those born between 1996 and 2016 and while they are known in many countries as the "always online" generation who cannot relate to their elders, this gap of understanding is perhaps even wider in Iran.
In a country that has been a strict theocracy since 1979, it is the generation from which the clerical elite is in many cases completely disconnected.
Gen Z has been a driving force behind demonstrations that erupted on September 16 after the death of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody, demonstrations that have yet to subside.
Amini was detained for allegedly wearing a hijab in an “improper” way.
Activists and human rights groups say that at least 76 protesters have been killed by Iranian security forces during the past 11 days of unrest.
Iranian police commanders on Wednesday said they would come down hard on protesters, who are mostly women.
“Social media has been key in amplifying the voices of those inside Iran and giving the protests international attention at a time when the government is trying hard to stifle them by shutting down the internet,” said Dina Esfandiary, senior adviser for the Middle East and North Africa region at Crisis Group.
Since the outbreak of the demonstrations the government has shut down access to the internet.
Internet watchdog Netblocks described the cuts as the most "severe internet restrictions" in Iran since the deadly crackdown on protests in November 2019, when the country experienced an unprecedented near-complete internet shutdown.
“The protests are significant in their scale, ferocity and in the role of women and the younger generation,” Ms Esfandiary told The National.
The hijab has become a symbol of how angry Iranians are but “the protests are about more than just that”, she said.
The internet cuts were followed by a stream of social media videos showing women burning their hijabs and cutting their hair. Others have been posting emotional videos under the hashtag #Mahsa_Amini.
Videos also showed demonstrators tearing down images of Iran's leadership, and also security forces firing on protesters.
Young Iranian are frustrated and angry with the status quo and are not afraid to voice their opinions online and push outside the red lines of the government, said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
“Iranian Gen Z is willing to die for change,” she said.
They have “grown up with satellite dishes and (heavily filtered) social media and internet at their fingertips, which they use circumvention tools to bypass”, she said on Twitter.
Many feel disconnected with the ruling clerical establishment and feel they have nothing in common.
“As Iranian Gen Z spends a lot of time online, they see the injustices and double standards in their society and their wasted potential,” Ms Dagres said.
By taking their anger to the streets, young people are "taking control of their future in a way their parents haven't been able to".
"They're leading the protests in-person and online, saying very loud and clear that they no longer want an Islamic Republic," she said.
The use of social media platforms has enabled the protests to spread to some European cities where the Iranian diaspora has taken the streets to echo the anger and frustration of those in Iran.
Hundreds of Iranians living in the UK, France, Spain and Germany chanted slogans against the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They also urged European leaders to intervene and take a stance against Mr Khamenei's actions.
In America, dozens of young Iranians and Americans gathered in front of The New York Times building in Manhattan to demonstrate for the rights of women in Iran.
Some were seen shaving their heads in an act of defiance against the death of Amini.
Amini's death has drawn widespread international condemnation, while Iran has blamed "thugs" linked to "foreign enemies" for the unrest.
Tehran has accused the US and the aforementioned European countries of using the unrest to try to destabilise the country.
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
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Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
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High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
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- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
'Ashkal'
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Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
Other promotions
- Deliveroo will team up with Pineapple Express to offer customers near JLT a special treat: free banana caramel dessert with all orders on January 26
- Jones the Grocer will have their limited edition Australia Day menu available until the end of the month (January 31)
- Australian Vet in Abu Dhabi (with locations in Khalifa City A and Reem Island) will have a 15 per cent off all store items (excluding medications)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
