Notwithstanding the large anti-hijab demonstrations in Iran that were spurred by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, the Islamic country still restricts the rights of women by poisoning schoolgirls to prevent them from receiving an education. According to state television, an Iranian deputy minister said on Sunday that "certain persons" were poisoning schoolgirls in the holy city of Qom in order to stop them from continuing their studies.
Younes Panahi, the deputy health minister, reportedly admitted that the poisonings were intentional. A top Iranian health official informed the Fars news agency that a recent wave of widespread illnesses at girls' schools in Iran was brought on by intentional poisoning using "chemical chemicals," according to Bloomberg.
In November of last year, several cases of respiratory poisoning were reported in Qom, which is 160 kilometers from Tehran. Some of the victims required hospital care. Panahi was quoted by the Iranian state news agency as saying, "Following the poisoning of several kids in Qom schools, it was found that certain people wanted all schools, especially ladies' schools, to be shuttered."
According to AFP, there have not yet been any arrests connected to the poisonings. IRNA reported that on February 14, parents of sickened students gathered in front of the city's governorate to "demand an answer" from the authorities.
The intelligence and education ministries are reportedly looking for the reason behind the poisonings, according to government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi the next day.
Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri requested a judicial investigation into the incidents last week.
The first poisoning incident was recorded in the very orthodox and spiritual city of Qom. In addition, it is where the majority of the presidents and leaders of the nation have attended theological institutions and the homes of Iran's clergy, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The poisonings also occur at a time when the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan continue to prevent girls and women from attending schools and institutions, essentially barring them from receiving an education.