A senior government official finally admitted that they were deliberate targets.
None of the girls died, but dozens were hospitalized with breathing problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.
“It became clear that some people wanted all schools to be closed, especially for girls,” Iranian Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi said at a Feb. 26 press conference.
poisoned by chemicals
Prior to this, the only official statement was that the Attorney General opened a criminal investigation into the poisoning and that it could have been “intentional”.
In the past three months, schoolgirls have claimed to have smelled tangerines or rotten fish before falling ill.
chemicals used not for military use and available to the public”, – said Vice Minister Panahi.
He added that those affected “do not need invasive treatment and should remain calm.”
He then elaborated that his statement was “misinterpreted”, a sign of disagreement between the authorities on how to deal with social unrest when no one has been publicly found guilty.
The holy city of Qom is the epicenter of the mass poisoning, but attacks have taken place at eight locations in Iran.
Public discontent continues to grow in the country.
Evil fathers and mothers
The first incident took place on November 30, 2022, when 18 female students from Nur Technical School in Qom were taken to hospital with signs of poisoning.
Since then they have reported attacks on more than 10 women’s schools in the province.
In mid-February, a group of more than a hundred people held a protest outside the governor’s office in Qom.
“You have an obligation to ensure the safety of my children! I have two daughters,” the father shouted in a video widely shared on social media.
“Two daughters… and the only thing I can do is not let them go to school.”
“This is war!” exclaimed a woman at the same meeting. “They do it at Qom Girls High School to force us to stay at home. They want the girls to stay at home!“.
Some parents claim that their daughters were ill for several weeks after the poisoning.
In the video, filmed in the hospital, the stunned teenager can be seen lying on the bed next to his mother.
“Dear mothers, I am a mother; my daughter is in a hospital bed and her limbs are weak,” she explains in dismay.
“I pinch her, but she doesn’t feel anything. Please don’t send your daughters to school.”
Very religious city
The attacks were concentrated in Qom. home of Shia religious leaders and the backbone of the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian theocracy has seen its authority questioned since the death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, who was detained by police last September for allegedly improperly wearing a veil.
Some Iranians are wondering if the attacks are revenge for the role of girls and teenagers in mass protests against the government after the Amini case.
At the time, social media was flooded with photos of students taking off their headscarves.
Others believe that these attacks are the work of radical Islamists who want to “copy” Taliban in Afghanistan and Boko Haram in Nigeriaterrorizing parents to stop them from sending their daughters to school.
Has Boko Haram arrived in Iran? asked former Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi in an Instagram post.
The reformist politician also warned that “extremists will interpret government and religion restrictions to their advantage.”
The Iranian regime often dismisses criticisms of restrictions on women in the country, such as the mandatory wearing of the hijab, alleging that many go to universities.
But if girls can’t finish school, college is an impossible dream.
Lies from the authorities
The comments of a student who claims to have been poisoned twice during a meeting with Qom’s governor show how vague and misleading some of the authorities’ claims have been.
“They tell us that everything is fine, that they have investigated; but when my father asked at my school, they told him that they were very sorry that the video surveillance had not been working for a week and they could not investigate it, ”he said at the meeting.
And, according to him, “when I was poisoned for the second time on Sunday, the principal of the school said:“ She have a heart conditionThat’s why she’s been hospitalized.”
“But I don’t have any heart problems!” he protested.
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Source: La Opinion
Alfred Hart is an accomplished journalist known for his expert analysis and commentary on global affairs. He currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker, where he provides readers with in-depth coverage of the most pressing issues affecting the world today. With a keen insight and a deep understanding of international politics and economics, Alfred’s writing is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the world we live in.