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Iranian Women Protest Compulsory Hijab; Police Warns Them

Compulsory Hijab
photo credit, Facebook photo, My Stealthy Freedom

 

Tehran police warns Iranian women to stop their demonstrations against compulsory hijab.

In this story, you read:
The Iranian women risk prison sentences of up to two months for not wearing the headscarf, but up to 10 years if they are found to be encouraging others.
Reacting to the circulation of a video that showed an officer to push a woman off an electrical junction box resulting to break her leg, Tehran Police Chief promised “a zero-tolerance policy.”
Iranian men are taking a stand for the rights of the women and girls covering up.

Sources: 91.5 The Beat, Iran Daily, DW Akademia

A new wave of protests against the compulsory wearing of hijab has spread across Iran, resulting in the arrests of dozens of women. The government has accused the protesters of being under the influence of drugs.

For almost four decades since the start of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranian women have tried to push the boundaries of the compulsory hijab rule imposed upon them. Their struggle gained momentum late last year after a 31-year-old woman nicknamed the “Girl of Enghelab Street,” stood bareheaded on a utility box on Enghelab (or Revolution) Street in Tehran, waving her white headscarf on a stick.

The woman, later identified as Vida Movahed, a mother of a 19-month-old child, is being hailed as a hero among Iranian women fighting against the compulsory hijab. Movahed’s defiant protest and her subsequent arrest drew attention worldwide.

Now, Tehran Police Chief Hassan Rahimi has warned Iranian women to stop demonstration against compulsory hijab. “The police will not tolerate this kind of behavior, and will deal with protesters firmly.”

Reacting to the circulation of a video in which a police officer pushed a young woman off an electrical junction box and reports that her leg was broken, Rahimi promised “a zero-tolerance policy.” 

“We have told our officers to behave lawfully when dealing with anyone, including suspects. We hope that kind of behavior will not reoccur,” said Rahimi.

Mryam Shariatmadari has reportedly had to undergo surgery for her injuries. The video has fueled further protests, with the family of one woman, Shaparak Shajarizadeh, saying she was beaten in custody.

The women risk prison sentences of up to two months for not wearing the headscarf, but up to 10 years if they are found to be encouraging others.

However, far from shutting down the protest, the arrests only fed the spread of similar displays across the country by men.

Men had started posting photos of themselves on social media wearing hijabs (headscarves) in protest of Iran‘s strict hijab law.

The campaign is being publicized by a Facebook group called My Stealthy Freedom, which has been at the forefront of several other online protests for women’s rights.

One photo posted on the group’s Facebook page shows a man wearing a red headscarf, along with a woman without a hijab on. The caption explained Iran’s conservatives “are not representative of Iranian men at all.”

“I hate when they used morality police in order to force my wife to wear compulsory hijab. There are a lot of men in Iran who have respect for women’s freedom of choice,” a translation of the post read.

 

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