A recent report in Psychology Today suggests that the alleged “poisoning” of young school girls in Iran may appear to be state terrorism, but might actually be psychogenic in nature. It follows a pattern: A mass illness, a media frenzy, and accusations of state terrorism.
The report says that Iran’s case of “poisoning” should be taken with a pinch of salt as there is no proof of a poisonous chemical, there have been no fatalities, and almost all sufferers have recovered quickly.
There are startling similarities between the events in Iran, Afghanistan, and the West Bank where female students in Islamic schools have in different time periods exhibited symptoms like headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, and blurred vision – have fainted and are taken to the hospital.
In line with Iran’s “poisoning” case, despite many medical examinations, which have included blood testing, Iranian authorities have not made any arrests and have been unable to identify a chemical agent.
Experts say that there is a bigger psychological factor at play. The girls in all three cases – involving Afghanistan, West Bank, and Palestine were suffering from a mass psychogenic illness, as per Psychology Today. Another study conducted by the World Health Organization that looked at comparable outbreaks at 22 schools nationwide and analysed blood, urine, and water also came to the same conclusion.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank in March and April 1983, approximately a thousand Palestinian schoolgirls experienced headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and weakness.
The incident generated worrying allegations of widespread poisonings and made international news. It gave rise to accusations that the girls had been poisoned by Israeli operatives or extreme civilians.
The outbreak’s original instance, which happened at a school, was ultimately linked to a lavatory odour.
However, it was determined by two different studies published in The Lancet that the sickness was psychological. Another examination, which was reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry, concluded that the outbreak was significantly influenced by an Israeli newspaper article in which a writer falsely claimed that some of the sufferers had become blind.
What happened in Iran?
An Iranian news source said that dozens of schoolgirls in Iran were taken to the hospital on Tuesday following a mysterious poisoning, the most recent in a string of such attacks.
There have been hundreds of cases of respiratory distress among Iranian schoolgirls in the last three months, mostly in the city of Qom, south of Tehran, with some requiring hospitalisation.
According to a government official who spoke to the Guardian, the attacks were likely a calculated attempt to compel the closure of girls’ schools.
