An Iranian female teacher who was dismissed after appearing in a video online while not wearing the mandatory hijab has slammed the Education Ministry as a "misanthropic institution."
In a message published by the Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates (CCTS) on Telegram, Atekeh Rajabi wrote that while the ministry considers her dismissed, she said she looks at the situation the other way around: "You did not fire me. I was the one who refused to cooperate with you."
The matter started when the ministry fired Rajabi because she did not observe the hijab when appearing in a protest video, as well as because of her participation in nationwide strikes in support of imprisoned teachers.
Rajabi, who used to teach in the northeastern Iranian city of Ahmadabad, said in the video that she could not cooperate with an institution “that allows repressive forces to take away the security and peace of our children.”
"I soon realized that not only is the Education Ministry not on the side of the people, but it is the [most] misanthropic institution I know," Rajabi added.
Iran has been rocked by anger that spilled into the streets after Mahsa Amini died on September 16 while in police custody for allegedly violating the strict Islamic dress code.
Tens of thousands of Iranians -- led by women and students -- have since turned out to almost daily protests calling for authorities to respect their human rights. Many have had unusually harsh words for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demanding his resignation and blaming him for Amini's death and the deaths of protesters at the hands of security forces, who have waged a sometimes violent crackdown against the unrest.
More than 500 people have been killed in the crackdown, according to rights groups. Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.
The activist HRANA news agency said on December 15 that at least 637 students had been arrested during the unrest, as universities and schools have become leading venues for clashes between protesters and the authorities.
Meanwhile, a draft bill has been published on social media that the Iranian judiciary has presented to the government, in which not wearing the hijab is criminalized and punishments are laid out.
In the bill, women will be issued a written warning if they do not wear a proper hijab while in public. If they refuse to honor the warning, they face fines and flogging.