Additional Coverage:
- Women in Iran going without hijabs as 2nd anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death approaches (nbcnews.com)
As the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death and the subsequent widespread protests draws near, more women in Iranian cities are frequently seen without the compulsory headscarf, or hijab, on the streets.
Despite the noticeable shift, no official government acknowledgment of this trend exists, which began during Iran’s hot summer marked by frequent power outages. However, social media is awash with videos capturing daily life where women and girls, especially after sunset, are seen with their hair freely flowing.
This act of defiance continues despite “expanded repressive measures and policies” by Iran’s theocratic government, according to United Nations investigators. The protests sparked by Amini’s death saw no recent similar triggering events, yet the disobedience remains strong.
Iran’s new reformist President, Masoud Pezeshkian, who promised to end the morality police’s harassment of women during his campaign, is contrasted by the enduring authority of the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei has previously condemned unveiling as both religiously and politically forbidden.
For some devout Muslim women, wearing a hijab signifies piety and modesty. However, in Iran, it has also been a significant political symbol, with the black chador, worn by some, underscoring this significance.
The U.N. fact-finding mission recently highlighted the ongoing lack of meaningful changes and accountability for human rights violations, particularly affecting women and children.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old, died on September 16, 2022, in a hospital following her arrest by the morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab correctly. The protests ignited by her death initially focused on women’s rights but quickly expanded to broader calls for revolt against Khamenei.
A severe crackdown on the protests resulted in over 500 deaths and more than 22,000 detentions. Yet, today in Tehran, both wealthy northern suburbs and working-class southern areas see women without hijabs, particularly after dark and even during daylight on weekends in major parks.
Online videos, especially those depicting walking tours of Tehran, now include sightings of women without headscarves, an unthinkable sight in the decades following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“My quasi-courage for not wearing scarves is a legacy of Mahsa Amini, and we must protect this achievement,” said Azadeh, a 25-year-old student, expressing the ongoing impact and risks of such defiance as morality police patrols resume.
Isolated incidents of violence against women not wearing headscarves continue to surface, including a teenage girl who died mysteriously after an encounter in Tehran’s Metro and a woman shot at by police while fleeing a checkpoint.
The government has also targeted businesses and used surveillance technology, including drones, to monitor and penalize women for not wearing hijabs.
Nevertheless, some believe President Pezeshkian’s election is easing tensions around the hijab issue. Hamid Zarrinjouei, a bookseller, noted that Pezeshkian’s influence might be partially responsible for the current more relaxed environment.
Recently, Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi Azad cautioned security forces against initiating physical conflicts over the hijab, emphasizing the prosecution of violators while urging proper conduct.
Although the government hasn’t overtly addressed the rise in hijab-less women, there are subtle indications of a shifting political landscape. In August, a university teacher was dismissed immediately after making derogatory comments about Amini on state TV. The pre-reform newspaper Ham Mihan also reported on an unpublished survey revealing the hijab had become a crucial issue among Iranians, highlighting a new level of public consciousness.
“This issue is now more on people’s minds than ever before,” said sociologist Simin Kazemi in the newspaper.