In recent months, hundreds of schoolgirls in Iran have fallen ill after being poisoned by toxic gas. The attacks, which began in November 2022, have targeted girls’ schools in several provinces across the country. Though no fatalities have been reported, many fear that the attacks are part of a deliberate effort to shut down schools and prevent young women from accessing education.
Some experts believe the poisonings may be retaliation for the mass protests that swept Iran following the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who was killed by regime thugs for wearing her hijab “improperly”. Others argue that the attacks may be part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent and limit women’s rights.
The Iranian government claims to be investigating the attacks, but given the country’s poor record on human rights and protecting women, many are skeptical that meaningful action will be taken. Meanwhile, public concern and frustration are mounting as more girls fall ill and parents express fear for their children’s safety.
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The first reported poisoning took place on November 30, 2022, when 18 students from the Nour Technical School in the religious city of Qom were hospitalized. Since then, more than 10 girls’ schools in the surrounding province have been targeted. At least 194 girls are reported to have been poisoned in the past week at four schools in the city of Borujerd, in the western province of Lorestan. And on Tuesday, February 28, another 37 students were poisoned at the Khayyam Girls’ School in Pardis, near the capital Tehran.
According to reports, the girls have reported smelling tangerine or rotten fish before falling ill. Some parents have said that their children were ill for weeks after the poisoning. One video from a hospital shows a teenage girl lying dazed on a bed, with her mother beside her, begging other parents not to send their children to school.
“Dear mothers, I’m a mother and my child is in a hospital bed and her limbs are weak,” says the distraught mother. “I pinch her but she doesn’t feel anything. Please don’t send your children to school.”
The Iranian government has said it is taking action to address the issue.
“The Ministry of Health has been tasked with investigating the issue,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education. “We have also instructed all schools to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of their students.” However, many parents and activists are skeptical that these measures will be sufficient to protect their children.
Some have suggested that the attacks are part of a broader effort to suppress dissent and limit women’s rights. In October, a video surfaced showing young women in Iran removing their hijabs and making an obscene gestures at portraits of their clerical leaders in their classrooms. The gesture became a symbol of defiance against the country’s strict dress codes and restrictions on women’s rights.
The attacks have sparked outrage and concern among human rights activists, women’s rights groups, and others around the world. Many are calling on the Iranian government to take stronger action to protect its citizens and hold those responsible for the poisonings accountable. However, given the country’s history of repression and human rights abuses, the prospects for meaningful change remain uncertain.
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Sources: TheGatewayPundit, BBC
