Iranian Women Defy Old Guard in Recent Protests: Be Men and Step Forward

In footage from the recent Iranian unrest, women are seen protesting in the streets. "Be men and step forward," shouted one women, addressing the Iranian regime. "We have oil, gas, gold mines, diamond mines – you name it, we've got it," said another. "There's no reason for our women to [become prostitutes] for pennies." The footage emerged on the Internet on December 31.

Woman 1: "You old guys raised your fists [against the Shah], and you have made us miserable. Now we are raising our fists. Be men and step forward. I, a woman, am making myself a human shield, but it is you, representatives of the entire Iranian nation, who should step forward. Here we are no less [brave] than the people of Dorud and Mashhad. Salaries are being paid once every six months, and people have to postpone paying their rent. We kill ourselves working from morning to night."

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Woman 2: "No matter how religious [a regime] you are, you must be held accountable for my misery and my suffering. In a country with oil and natural resources... What do the Arabs have except oil? But they do have security. What do Iranian men and women have to give? We have oil, gas, gold mines, diamond mines – you name it, we've got it. We are rich! We've got it all! There's no reason for our women to [become prostitutes] for pennies."