Over the past couple of weeks, matters have worsened in Iran, yet people continue to protest and chant “women, life, freedom” all around the world. This piece addresses the Zahedan massacre, Elnaz Rekabi, Shervin Hajipour, Golshifteh Farahani, and Mehrshad Shahidi as well as the recent mass arrest of 14,000 protestors. Art has always been a means of making sense of and sustaining revolutions throughout history. The illustrations that this piece explores — those that address the aforementioned news coming out of Iran — are simple, yet profound. Art can speak to and reach a wide variety of people, no matter the language they speak, their level of education, the country they live in, or their age.

In Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran’s poorest province and home to the Sunni Baluch minority, tensions have risen due to the economic issues and neglect that the Sunni Baluch minority face, Mahsa Amini’s death, and, to add fuel to the fire, the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baluch girl. On Sept. 30th, nicknamed “Bloody Friday”, Iranian security forces killed at least 66 people after the Friday prayers.

During the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships in Seoul, South Korea, Elnaz Rekabi participated in the competition without wearing a hijab, violating Iran’s strict dress code. A few days later, her family and friends reportedly could not reach her, as her phone and passport were confiscated while she was being held in the Iranian Embassy in Seoul. A couple of days later, she landed in Tehran, Iran where she was welcomed by a huge crowd chanting “Elnaz is a heroine”. News reporters were present as well. Rekabi explained why her hijab fell off in an Instagram post and to the reporters, saying that she was called in suddenly to compete and when she was busy getting ready, she forgot to put her hijab on. She also denied reports that her family and friends could not reach her. Many believe Rekabi was coerced into giving that explanation.

Badiucao’s illustration goes on to show how far the movement has reached globally, and that global solidarity for liberation is forged in the shadow of autocracy — the artist is sort of a rebel going against all types of governments like their own.

Shervin Hajipour, the singer of the Iranian protest anthem “Baraye” (translates to for), was arrested days after releasing the song. He was reportedly arrested on September 29, but his parents were informed by the officials on October 1. He was released on bail, and has since remained silent.

براى دخترى كه آرزو داشت پسر بود ‘For the girl who wished to be a boy’

Women, like men, are people too, and they deserve basic rights. But Hajipour’s song, which highlights the lack of women’s rights in the country, is not only about women’s freedom, but also about the Iranian people’s desire to live an ordinary life.

براى شرمندگى براى بى پولى 'For the shame of poverty’

In Iran, hyperinflation has caused the country’s economy to enter a state of failure. This in return has forced many families into poverty. The word “shame” refers to how parents feel when they are unable to provide basic necessities for their families. Having gained lots of attention both nationally and internationally, the anthem has been sung all over the world.

Exiled actress, Golshifteh Farahani, sang the Iranian protest anthem ‘Baraye’ in Buenos Aires, Argentina alongside the band Coldplay.

Farahani was banned from working in Iran by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance because she did not wear her hijab at the New York premiere of the movie, ‘Body of Lies’. After an incident perceived as indecent exposure by the state, she was exiled from the country and received threats from Iranian state officials. Farahani has been living in exile in France for the past decade. Her courage continues to echo globally in the forced silence of the protests from Iran to the world as Iranian social media remains shut down by state authorities.

A day before his birthday, Mehrshad Shahidi was allegedly beaten to death by security forces while in custody during the protests. However, a relative of Shahidi told a news outlet that they were told by Iranian officials to say he died of a heart attack.

Shahidi was an ambitious celebrity chef, also known as the Iranian “Jamie Oliver”, who was working as a head chef at the University of Arak. He was described by his students as an “energetic” and “popular” man. He would post videos of himself cooking, watched by his 25,000 followers on Instagram.

Iran has detained and imprisoned more than 14,000 protesters, according to Hrana estimates. A number of people face charges that can carry the death penalty, and were labeled moherab, or enemies of God, which was a crime punishable by death by lawmakers. Lawmakers compared the protestors to ISIS in a bid to claim that like the extremist organization, protestors pose a huge threat to the internal stability of the country because of their hostility. Moreover, they asked for legal action to be taken against the politicians who encouraged the protesters.

According to the Washington Post, the first known death sentence relating to the protests has been issued.

I do not know how this is going to end — will the protests persist or will concrete change come out of dissent? The illustrations, to me, depict what verbal and written discourse is often unable to access and capture in these nuanced moments of revolution. My hope is that art remains an adamant part of these movements.