ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 20, 2022
Negin Ansari is one of our newer church members. Before moving to the United States, Negin worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Tehran Office, specifically working with victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Yesterday, she reached out to share with me a story that maybe some of you have heard. On September 13, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, was taken into custody by “the Morality Police” in Iran for not wearing her head covering correctly. Women are often taken into custody for “reeducation” in regard to how to properly cover themselves. She died in a hospital a few days later after being rushed there from the police station. The police have said it was a preexisting condition, but her family says Mahsa was in excellent health when she was detained. And according to witnesses, she was beaten in the van on the way to the police station.
Apart from the specific details of what occurred, this is another example of dictatorial and powerful men using religion, and very narrow morality codes, to control and abuse. And like so often, women are scapegoated and made to be the problem. Iran is far from the only example of religion being used to restrict the rights of women, attempting to control them and their bodies. Christianity has fallen into this trap many times in its own history, including recently. It is one thing for individuals to hold a certain beliefs, even those beliefs we might find to be restrictive. But no individual, and certainly not with the use of religion, has the right to impose those beliefs on others. So often, a certain group is made to be “the problem” in a society, and thus they must be restricted and controlled. This is because the powerful fear alternative voices.
We must remember that religion is at its best when love and compassion invite, not demand; offer opportunity, not restrict; bring joy, not fear. The story of Mahsa Amini is heartbreaking, and though we must remember her name and story, we must also recognize Mahsa as only one example of a problem worldwide.
Merciful and Empowering God, you provided a new way in Jesus. You gave life to a vision for how we are to live with one another, and that vision has nothing to do with manipulation, violence or fear. As you are giving courage to so many around the globe to stand strong in opposition to injustice and suffering, give us opportunities to speak and act wherever we can. We make this request in the belief that you will continue to guide us to even greater ways for all of us to live together. Amen.
