Women, life, freedom, food: Chefs spread the word about Iran protests
When Layla Yarjani thinks of Iran, she thinks of ice cream by the Caspian Sea and eating beef tongue sandwiches with her father in a cafe in Tehran. She remembers the warmth and community spirit: the bustle of rowdy dinner parties with neighbors, everyone reaching out for spoonfuls of Persian stew; and afternoons playing football with the boys on her street.
She also remembers the strict rules beyond her happy bubble: the ban on his mother to leave the country without a man's permission; was ordered to sing "death to America" at school and the day she was reprimanded by teachers for carrying a Disney Princess backpack because the character's hair was not covered by a headscarf.
"I remember the restrictions, the lack of freedom, the limitations that women had to live with for decades," says Yarjani, now aged 33 Years. "But I also have very vivid and fond memories of the people, the culture, the kindness and the hospitality."
It's that other side of the Iran that Yarjani hopes to highlight through #CookForIran, a social cooking movement launched as protests continue to rage in the Islamic Republic, sparked by the September death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been detained by the vice squad for allegedly breaking strict rules on hijabs.
Protests have since escalated into broader protests against the regime and led to a brutal government crackdown, with around 15,000 people reportedly arrested, 2,000 charged and five sentenced to death. More than 400 other people have been killed in clashes with security forces, including a nine-year-old boy whose family says he was shot dead during a night of violence in southwestern Iran on Wednesday. /p>
When Layla Yarjani thinks of Iran, she thinks of ice cream by the Caspian Sea and eating beef tongue sandwiches with her father in a cafe in Tehran. She remembers the warmth and community spirit: the bustle of rowdy dinner parties with neighbors, everyone reaching out for spoonfuls of Persian stew; and afternoons playing football with the boys on her street.
She also remembers the strict rules beyond her happy bubble: the ban on his mother to leave the country without a man's permission; was ordered to sing "death to America" at school and the day she was reprimanded by teachers for carrying a Disney Princess backpack because the character's hair was not covered by a headscarf.
"I remember the restrictions, the lack of freedom, the limitations that women had to live with for decades," says Yarjani, now aged 33 Years. "But I also have very vivid and fond memories of the people, the culture, the kindness and the hospitality."
It's that other side of the Iran that Yarjani hopes to highlight through #CookForIran, a social cooking movement launched as protests continue to rage in the Islamic Republic, sparked by the September death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been detained by the vice squad for allegedly breaking strict rules on hijabs.
Protests have since escalated into broader protests against the regime and led to a brutal government crackdown, with around 15,000 people reportedly arrested, 2,000 charged and five sentenced to death. More than 400 other people have been killed in clashes with security forces, including a nine-year-old boy whose family says he was shot dead during a night of violence in southwestern Iran on Wednesday. /p>
What's Your Reaction?
