Homa Darabi (; 1940–1994) was an Iranian

child psychiatrist Child and adolescent psychiatry (or pediatric psychiatry) is a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders in children, adolescents, and their families. It investigates the biopsychosocial fac ...

, academic, and political activist affiliated with the

Nation Party of Iran Party of the Iranian Nation (or Nation Party of Iran, Iran Nation Party; ) is "a small opposition" party in Iran advocating establishment of a secular democracy. Although the party is technically illegal, it still operates inside Iran. Founded i ...

. She is known for her political self-immolation in protest to the compulsory hijab, which led to her death.

Biography

Darabi was born in 1940 in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. Following the end of high school, she entered Medical School of University of Tehran in 1959. In 1960, she was detained for organizing a student demonstration in favor of the National Front. She married her classmate Manoochehr Keyhani in 1963. After completing her studies, she practiced in the village Bahmanieh, located in northern Iran. Darabi went to the United States to continue her studies, and obtained a pediatrics specialist degree in psychology. She returned to Iran in 1976 and was employed as a professor of child psychiatry at

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...

, while she became once again politically active against the

Pahlavi dynasty The Pahlavi dynasty () is an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian royal dynasty that was the Pahlavi Iran, last to rule Iran before the country's monarchy was abolished by the Iranian Revolution in 1979. It was founded in 1925 by Reza Shah, Reza S ...

. She also taught at the

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. In the United States, the term "national university" connotes the highe ...

(later known as Shahid Beheshti University). She was dismissed from her position for "non-adherence to ''

hijab Hijab (, ) refers to head coverings worn by Women in Islam, Muslim women. Similar to the mitpaḥat/tichel or Snood (headgear), snood worn by religious married Jewish women, certain Christian head covering, headcoverings worn by some Christian w ...

''" in December 1991. Although a tribunal in May 1993 overturned the decision, the university refused to restore her position.

Death

As a sign of protest, Darabi immolated herself by pouring petrol over her head on 21 February 1994, after she had taken her ''hijab'' off in a public thoroughfare near

Tajrish Tajrish (, ) is a neighbourhood of Tehran, capital of Iran. Administratively it is in Shemiranat County, Tehran province and serves as the capital of the county. At one time a village, it was later absorbed into the city of Tehran. The Tajri ...

. She died from the burns in a hospital the next day.

References

Iranian pediatricians Iranian feminists Suicides by self-immolation 1940 births 1994 deaths Hijab Suicides in Iran Iranian psychiatrists Women psychiatrists Nation Party of Iran politicians National Front (Iran) student activists 20th-century Iranian physicians 20th-century Iranian women physicians Iranian expatriates in the United States University of Tehran alumni Academic staff of the University of Tehran Academic staff of Shahid Beheshti University Politicians from Tehran 1994 suicides {{psychiatrist-stub

Biography

Death

See also

Further reading

References