Amini’s award and EU’s morals

The European Union has awarded its top human rights award to 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian girl, Mahsa Amini whose death in police custody sparked a wave of women’s rights across Iran.

The European Parliament President has announced that the committee has decided to honor the EU’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Ms. Amini, along with Iran’s Women, Life and Freedom movement that has emerged as an agent of change following the death of a young woman activist.

The young Mahsa Amini has shaped into an icon of resolve, commitment and struggle for human rights defenders, social activists and advocates of democracy around the globe. She triggered a historic women-led movement against the repressive cleric regime and shattered the Iranian government along with igniting a ray of hope in political and liberal forces in that nation.

For the first time, after the Iranian revolution, the world has heard the slogans of ‘Women, Life, Liberty and witnessed that the entire Iranian setup failed to curb the anti-government protests and cool down the insurrection against the current system.

The European Union has rightly acknowledged the sacrifice of the young woman activist and an agent of change in their staunch opposing nation. The European Union (EU) has Introduced multiple modern legacies, and democratic values in the comity of nations after Europe came out of the dark ages.

From Nobel Peace Prizes, to awards for freedom of journalism, democracy and human rights stewardship had been coined and often conferred by the western nations upon individuals, groups and organizations who serve their purpose/ interest. Historically, this distribution had always prompted criticism and remained debatable throughout history. These awards had always been given to highlight positive aspects of western system and expose grey areas of their opposing nations/ communities.

The west always turned a blind eye toward ongoing human rights struggles and freedom movements in certain territories such as Indian illegally held Kashmir, Indian Punjab, Palestine, and several other destinations around the globe, where thousands of Aminis have been raped, lost lives, or became disabled, hundred of thousands of people have been killed but EU has no courage to say a word, acknowledge that sacrifices or pay tribute to their struggle. After all, politically motivated nominations neither have credibility nor could be an alternative to true humanism and trustworthiness.