Following street protests in Iran, more and more women are ignoring the obligation to wear a headscarf. Young and old defy the requirement to cover their heads and openly display their long, short or gray hair, despite the threat of fines or jail terms.
What was unthinkable in the Islamic Republic a year ago is now commonplace. Whether in parks, shopping malls or on the streets of the metropolis, many women test the strict laws with unprecedented self-confidence.
It is a spring day and many families have come to the lake in Chitgar Park, in the west of the capital, Tehran, to walk or have a picnic in the sun. The smell of cotton candy fills the air.
Some teenagers are sitting on concrete blocks in a skateboard park. A boy skates around the area with a loudspeaker bluetooth, while Iranian pop music plays in the distance. And there is a young woman with a top that shows her belly and no headscarf.
When asked if he is not afraid of punishment, Raha answers firmly: “After all we have been through? Today we have more value. When you go out into the streets and demonstrate, why should you be afraid?” adds the 16-year-old student.
His friend Mehdi approaches on roller skates. “We had not wanted to continue in this situation for a long time. Nobody listens to the younger generation. And those who protested loudly were killed,” emphasizes the student, who is two years older than Raha.
feminist struggles
Feminist struggles in Iran are much older than the Islamic Republic itself. But since the 1979 revolution, women have also repeatedly defied Islamic laws that, among other things, put them at a disadvantage compared to men when it comes to inheritance, custody or freedom to travel.
Never before, however, has there been so much opposition to the strict dress code. The protests multiplied six months ago, following the case of Jina Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman who died following being arrested and beaten by the so-called “morality police” for not having her head covered.
Also in the park is Nushin, who is currently doing his PhD. He is 30 years old and belongs to another generation. Most of the protesters in recent months have been high school girls.
According to Nushin, people’s mental health has clearly deteriorated in recent years. “Maybe now I laugh when I’m outside, and people think I’m happy because we can ride our bikes and not wear a headscarf. Others may think that we are now free and happy. But no, it’s not really like that, ”she assures.
Fibra sensible
In Iran there are no figures on how many people support the system of government or despise it. However, Nushin’s words strike a chord, because many people have long complained regarding the lack of prospects. Add to that high inflation, a free-falling currency and a miserable economic situation, which might plunge Iran’s political leadership into the next big crisis.
“The situation has become so difficult that we can barely pay the rent,” says the student.
The Iranian government was elected with the lowest electoral participation since the founding of the state. President Ebrahim Raisi is a hardliner, and also tightened up on mandatory veiling following the change of power in 2021.
The Government is by no means indifferent to the fact that many women now wear their hair down. Raisi Vice President Mohammad Dehghan declared just a few days ago that ignoring the requirement to wear a headscarf is a crime.
The city of Ghom, a stronghold of the Shiite clergy, lies regarding 150 kilometers south of Tehran. In the center of power of the fines, the atmosphere that followed the street protests has been debated for weeks.
Rasieddin Mortasawi Langrudi sits on the carpet in a small mosque following midday prayers. At 44, the ayatollah is part of the young generation of influential jurists.
“At present, it is advisable not to take decisive action once morest unveiled women. All sectors of society must be satisfied. If a warning is given, it is advice and not an obligation”, highlights the preacher.
After the brutal action by the security apparatus, hatred also turned once morest the Iranian preacher, as evidenced by a scar on Langrudi’s forearm. The ayatollah was recently assaulted on a train.
“The protest is a right of the people, but it should not be carried out in that way without wearing a veil or out of spite once morest the clergy,” he said.
Langrudi believes that society is moving away from the headscarf requirement. But not all of Ghom’s clerics share his opinion. The obligation is good when there are women who do not understand the meaning of the headscarf, explains another scholar from the stronghold of the Shiite clergy.
Empty words
Meanwhile, in the big cities, the guardians of Iranian morality have disappeared from the urban landscape. Only in the most conservative areas are violations systematically prosecuted.
Jina Mahsa Amini, an icon of the protest, was detained by these “guardians” in mid-September, fell into a coma and died a few days later in a Tehran hospital. Years of suppressed anger from the younger generation then sparked strong protests.
“The government should have officially apologized in relation to Mahsa Amini to prevent these events,” says Ayatollah Langrudi.
Many people in Iran doubt that the younger generation can be swayed once more by the words of the preachers.
Controlling mandatory veiling through surveillance technology has long been planned. Young people do not forgive those responsible for the violent actions once morest the protests.
“The generation that voted for the Islamic Republic is now at least 70 years old,” says Mehdi. “They say that everything will be fine with the reforms. But my generation can’t stand coercion anymore”, concludes the young man with determination.
Custodians of morality are no longer seen so much on the streets
In big cities, the guardians of Iranian morality have long since disappeared from the urban landscape. Only in the most conservative areas are violations systematically prosecuted.
Jina Mahsa Amini, an icon of the protest, was detained by these “guardians” in mid-September, fell into a coma and died a few days later in a Tehran hospital. Years of suppressed anger from the younger generation then sparked fierce protests across the country.
“The government should have officially apologized in relation to Mahsa Amini to avoid these events,” reasons Ayatollah Rasieddin Mortasawi Langrudi.
Many people in Iran doubt that the younger generation can once once more be swayed by the words of even the most persuasive preachers.
Rebels with a cause
Controlling mandatory veiling through surveillance technology has long been planned. At the same time, young people do not forgive those responsible for the violent actions once morest the protests.
“The generation that voted for the Islamic Republic is now at least 70 years old,” says Mehdi. “They say that everything will be fine with the reforms. But my generation can’t stand coercion anymore”, concludes the young man firmly.
