A Silent Voice: A Bilingual Longitudinal Analysis of Mahsa Amini's Movement Tweet

Sadegh Jafari, Mahsa Farsouni Nezhad, Melika Nobakhtian, Arash Chaichi Mellatshahi, Amirmohammad Kazemeini

Abstract: Mahsa Amini’s death was not just a tragedy; it sent shockwaves through Iranian society, igniting a firestorm of dissent that raged both online and offline. This study delves into the dramatic transformation of Twitter in the 90 days following her death. We analyze the emotional pulse of Iranian users, tracking how their sentiments evolved and the topics of discussion from both chronological and linguistic standpoints. By dissecting the changing topics of discourse and identifying the most potent words and phrases, we showcase how understanding both English and Persian tweets reflects two different yet complementary aspects based on their audiences. The progression of the movement is represented in the tweets, highlighting the necessity of considering different languages and the full timeline to capture the representation of tweets about this movement in both English and Persian.