16 September 2023. Today marks the first anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Kurdish student Jina Mahsa Amini.
She died as a result of violence inflicted on her in her home country of Iran on 16 September 2022 by the so-called “morality police” for allegedly not wearing her headscarf correctly. Her murder triggered the largest wave of protests in Iran since its founding 44 years ago, led mainly by women and girls who no longer want to be oppressed and maltreated by the mullahs. The protests continue to this day.
This moving video, which justifies awarding the #WomenLifeFreedom movement in Iran by the M100 advisory board, was shown on Thursday at the M100 Media Award ceremony at the Orangerie Sanssouci in Potsdam, before EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave the laudation for the #WomenLifeFreedom movement. The award was accepted by Iranian women’s rights activist Shima Babaei.
M100 Sanssouci Colloquium and M100 Media Award 2023
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“We will not return to darkness!”
The M100 Media Award honours the Iranian “Women, Life, Freedom” movement | Shima Babaei accepted the award on behalf of the movement in Potsdam
Potsdam, 15 September 2023. Yesterday evening, the 19th M100 Sanssouci Colloquium ended with the presentation of the M100 Media Award at the Orangerieschloss Sanssouci in Potsdam. The high-profile European award was given to the Iranian “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, which started one year ago, on 16 September 2022, with the violent death of 22-year-old student Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody. The award honours the courageous women and girls, but also men, who protest against oppression and for freedom and human rights in their home countries. Iranian women’s rights activist Shima Babaei, who has been living in exile in Belgium since 2020, accepted the award on behalf of the movement.
“Today, with the M100 Media Award, we honour the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement in Iran, which, despite threats of violence and draconian punishments, stands up for women’s rights as they are taken for granted in the civilized world,” said Potsdam’s Lord Mayor Mike Schubert in his welcome of the approximately 160 invited international guests: “Let us take today’s award ceremony as an inspiration to continue to work together to promote equality, human rights and democracy everywhere in the world. The Iranian women’s movement, just like our own Potsdam history, shows us that the will to overcome obstacles is too strong for petrified and encrusted regimes, that it is possible to shape a better future for all.”
Düzen Tekkal: The People of Iran need our Support!
13 September 2023. “I am very grateful that the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium dedicates the M100 Media Award 2023 to the freedom movement in Iran for “Woman – Life – Freedom” and it is also of special significance that a fearless woman like Shima Babaei is accepting this award on its behalf!,” says Düzen Tekkal, journalist, human rights activist and founder of HÁWAR.help. “With HÁWAR.help we have been supporting women like Shima Babaei from day 1 of the new wave of revolutionary protests that started with the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini one year ago. Like the women who are now fighting for their self-determination, Babaei challenged the regime and its systemic misogyny back in 2017 – and had to flee the country due to the life-threatening situation for her. Her father is still missing today. The people of Iran deserve to live in freedom, human dignity, and political self-determination – and they need all of our support to make this dream come true!”Together with German-Iranian actress and musician Jasmin Tabatabai and Iranian women’s rights activist and sports influencer Mersedeh Shahinkar, Düzen Tekkal will make a political statement at tomorrow’s award ceremony at the Orangery Palace in Potsdam-Sanssouci. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver the laudatory speech.
The M100 Media Award ceremony will be streamed live on 14 September from 18:00 (CET).