Why a scholar banished from Iran 15 years ago is hopeful about the current protests

A protester holds a drawing of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 23. Amini was arrested by Iranian authorities in Tehran on Sept. 13 for not wearing her headscarf properly. She died three days later, apparently due to a severe head injury. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Protests continue in Iran after the death of a 22-year-old woman in the custody of the country's so-called morality police. Mahsa Amini, also known to family by her Kurdish name, Jina, was detained for apparently violating the police's standards for modesty. Reports vary on whether they objected to how she wore her hijab or the style of her pants.

In either case, the morality police have been known for their seemingly arbitrary standards and punishment of women for decades. Iranian American scholar Pardis Mahdavi says the current protests are built on the resistance of the previous generations.