WGAW Middle Eastern Writers Committee Statement in Solidarity With the Women-Led Activists in Iran

Los Angeles – The following is a statement from the WGAW Middle Eastern Writers Committee and WGAW Officers:

"On September 13th, 2022, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old, Kurdish-Iranian woman was violently detained by the Iranian authorities on account of wearing “improper” attire, according to the so-called ‘morality police.' She fell into a coma and died three days later, while still in custody. Her death sparked outrage, especially among women, and Iranians took to the streets all across the country in solidarity. Since then, countless other lives have been lost in this fight for freedom while most of the world has remained silent.
 
Currently, the government of Iran has restricted communication and access to social media platforms by shutting down the internet across the country, using censorship to shutter any form of dissent.
 
As writers, we are granted the fundamental right to speak openly, and express ourselves without fear of governmental retaliation. With that right, comes a responsibility to uphold the same values for people all over the world.
 
The WGAW’s Middle Eastern Writers Committee and the WGAW stand strongly behind the fearless and courageous women-led activists of Iran who are taking to the streets and putting their lives at risk to fight for a fundamental freedom we often take for granted, chanting ‘woman, life, freedom.’
 
Women’s rights continue to be threatened all around the world, and Iranian women are currently at the forefront of this battle. We ask that all WGA writers use their platforms, their writers rooms, and their storytelling capabilities to amplify voices that are being silenced in order to continue to fight for change."

The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national, and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: https://www.wga.org/. 

The WGAW Middle Eastern Writers Committee (MEWC) is a committee of WGAW members dedicated to boosting the visibility and employment of Middle Eastern writers within the film and television industry, while celebrating and promoting accurate portrayals of Middle Eastern characters in all areas of media. It also serves as an expert resource for productions on issues related to the vast and diverse Middle Eastern community in the United States and abroad.