Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez conflated opponents of abortion with the Islamic government of Iran in a Friday tweet.
“Solidarity with the courageous women and allies in Iran protesting for their freedom. Mahsa Amini was senselessly murdered by the same patriarchal and autocratic forces repressing women the world over. The right to choose belongs to us all, from hijabs to reproductive care,” she wrote.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously accused “religious fundamentalists” for attempts to ban abortion out of a desire to “outlaw sex” and “own women.”
Solidarity with the courageous women and allies in Iran protesting for their freedom.
Mahsa Amini was senselessly murdered by the same patriarchal and autocratic forces repressing women the world over.
The right to choose belongs to us all, from hijabs to reproductive care.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 23, 2022
Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died in Iranian morality police custody after they arrested her for violating the country’s compulsory hijab laws. While the Iranian government claims she died of a heart attack, officials returned Amini’s body to her family covered in bruises. Iranians have protested Amini’s death in at least thirteen cities, and at least nine people have reportedly died.
Iran has required women to wear the hijab since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Religious authorities may also detain women for wearing pants that are too form-fitting or for wearing too much makeup.
The Treasury Department sanctioned seven Iranian officials in connection with a crackdown on protesters, and international organizations have called for an independent investigation.
A staunch supporter of legalized abortion, Ocasio-Cortez was arrested and fined $50 for protesting outside the Supreme Court in the aftermath of its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. She and several other lawmakers pretended to be handcuffed while posing for journalists. (RELATED: Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Mace Spar After Dem ‘Fakes Being In Handcuffs’)
Ocasio-Cortez is frequently criticized for her historical and contemporary analogies. Shortly after she won her first election in 2018, the New York Democrat compared migrant caravans at the U.S.’s southern border to Holocaust refugees. In a 2019 interview, Ocasio-Cortez suggested that the U.S. owes reparations to non-white people, noting that Germany paid reparations after the Holocaust.
Ocasio-Cortez also defended fellow “Squad” member Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s downplaying of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She claimed that Omar did more to support survivors of the attack than Republican Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who lost his eye in Afghanistan.