3/9/2023

Arrests Begin for Poisoning Iranian Schoolgirls

1,200+ Iranian girls across hundreds of schools have been poisoned. As government investigations, still largely unknown, continue into who is responsible and what their motivations are, the death penalty has been promised–if the attacks are found to be deliberate. These girls reported symptoms consistent with toxic gas poisoning–like dizziness, headaches, heart palpitations, and difficulty moving. They also reported smelling rotten food, chlorine, or cleaning agents before fainting. While many people are pointing to fundamentalist groups targeting girls education, Iran’s government is blaming “foreign enemies” and their supreme leader is calling it an “unforgivable” crime. What is clear, Iranian girls are paying the price. Will the true perpetrators be found and held accountable? First arrests were announced on Tuesday.

About the Filmmaker

3/9/2023

Arrests Begin for Poisoning Iranian Schoolgirls

1,200+ Iranian girls across hundreds of schools have been poisoned. As government investigations, still largely unknown, continue into who is responsible and what their motivations are, the death penalty has been promised–if the attacks are found to be deliberate. These girls reported symptoms consistent with toxic gas poisoning–like dizziness, headaches, heart palpitations, and difficulty moving. They also reported smelling rotten food, chlorine, or cleaning agents before fainting. While many people are pointing to fundamentalist groups targeting girls education, Iran’s government is blaming “foreign enemies” and their supreme leader is calling it an “unforgivable” crime. What is clear, Iranian girls are paying the price. Will the true perpetrators be found and held accountable? First arrests were announced on Tuesday.

About the Filmmaker

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After 10 Years In Hiding, Salman Rushdie Stabbed On Stage

Salman Rushdie, author of ‘The Satanic Verses and ‘Midnight’s Children’’, is fighting life-changing injuries to his heart, liver, and eyes after being repeatedly stabbed on-stage while giving a lecture. While the suspect, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, was just indicted by a grand jury on Thursday August 18, he told the New York Post that his motivation came from Rushdie’sattacks on Islam and its beliefs. Rushdie’s controversial 1988 novel left Muslims feeling outraged and that the book’s author was claiming verses of the Qur’an were “the work of the Devil”. ‘Satanic Verses’ is a phrase unknown to Muslims, and coined by Orientalist Western academics who were specializing in the study of cultures considered Eastern. Rushdie’s title immediately sparked protest because it refers to a legend about Prophet Muhammad that both Sunni and Shiite Muslims believe are fabricated by idolators. Rushdie’s book was also considered offensive because it portrayed weakness in the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims felt that Rushdie was questioning Muhammad’s credibility as the messenger of God. The book was banned in many parts of the world, including Iran, India and Pakistan, and former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini even issued a fatwa - or decree - calling for his death. Though the Iranian government has since separated itself from the fatwa, the price on Rushdie’s head recently increased to over $3M. For nearly a decade, the award-winning author went into hiding and lived under police protection, though in recent years became more lax about this, even venturing outside without bodyguard protection at times. Now, the outspoken defender of writers’ freedom of expression is living openly in New York, and once again at the center of free speech debate in literature.

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Arrests Begin for Poisoning Iranian Schoolgirls