Tragedy struck Iran, on Sept. 16 a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini passed away while in police custody.

Amini was arrested for violating the laws and dress code against modesty in Iran for having some of her hair showing out of the hijab.

According to the Iranian police Amini passed away from a “heart attack.” After three days in the detention center she was transferred over to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. According to the United Nations report, Amini was badly beaten, and she collapsed in the detention center and that is why she was brought to the hospital in the first place.

Iranian American immigrant Zaynab Malek said “it’s hard to think that my country is still treating women as second-class citizens. I have a lot of families that still live in Iran and I don’t know what I would do if I found out it was one of my friends or nieces being murdered over having a hair out of place.”

After word broke that she died while in police custody the streets of Iran ran ramped. Women young and old took to the streets to protest, not the police brutality used against Amini, but the strict laws against women in Iran.

Thousands of women removed their hijabs in solidarity which caused an uproar with the police. The police began using pellet guns, tear gas, and live ammunition to disperse the crowds.

Word of Amini’s death began to spread all across the world through social media.

Protests have been happening across the world, women are taking off their hijabs and/or cutting off their hair to stand in solidarity with Iranian women.

The hashtag #MashaAmini has been trending on social media platforms, Instagram and Twitter, since news broke about her death. Under the hashtag, you can see the visual of what these protests are and what is happening to these women.

With all of the rampage happening Iran’s government has banned Instagram and Twitter in Iran completely. The people of Iran are unable to access social media to even see the support and solidarity that the world is participating in.

“Change is coming, we are fighting back. They can’t continue to do this to us” – Iranian American Zaynab Malek

Many on social media are calling for the Iranian government to end its systemic persecution of women and allow peaceful protest in leu of what is happening.

Malek said “In Iran, human rights and basic respect are only given to men. Coming here at 13-years-old was a complete culture shock. As bad as it can get here, I’m glad that I live in a country where women aren’t being killed for violating a dated dress code.”

Across the world many are joining in support to hopefully see some change in the way women are seen and treated in Iran.