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Iranian protests against compulsory hijab

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This article is about Iranian protests against compulsory hijab in 2017–18. For the protests against Iranian regime, see 2017–18 Iranian protests.
Girl of Enghelab Street
Iranian protests against compulsory hijab (2017–18)
Part of 2017–18 Iranian protests
Girl of Enghelab Street
An Iranian girl showing support for the Girl of Enghelab Street by re-enacting Movahed's protest in Hauptplatz in Linz
DateFrom 27 December 2017 (2017-12-27)
Location
Iran

A series of protests against compulsory hijab in Iran started by the help of social media, where users shared the act of the Iranian woman Vida Movahed (Persian: ویدا موحد) known as Girl of Enghelab Street (Persian: دختر خیابان انقلاب) who stood in the crowd on a telecom box in the Enghelab Street (Revolution Street) of Tehran on December 27, 2017 while tied her white scarf on a stick and waved it to the crowd as a flag.[1][2][3][4] After that many other women were inspired by her and did the same thing.[5] She was arrested on that day[3][4] and was released on 28 January 2018.[6][7] Movahed's action was based on Masih Alinejad's call for White Wednesdays which was stared early 2017, Masih Alinejad is a presenter at VOA Persian Television.[8][5][9] According to the Islamic law of Iran imposed since the 1979 revolution, women must wear a hijab, breaking the law can bring from ten days to two months in prison and/or fines from 50,000 up to 500,000 rials.[10][11]

Background

Before the Iranian Revolution of 1979, during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi the hijab was non-compulsory and a personal decision. [12] Some Iranian women in that time period wore some sort of headscarf or chador.[13]

After the 1979 revolution, the hijab gradually became compulsory.[14] In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini announced that women should observe Islamic dress code,[14][15] his statement sparked demonstrations which were met by government assurances that the statement was only a recommendation.[14][15] Hijab was subsequently made mandatory in government and public offices in 1980, and in 1983 it became mandatory for all women.[14]

In 2018, a government run survey dating back to 2014, was released by President Hassan Rouhani which showed that 49.8% of Iranians are against compulsory or mandatory hijab.[16][17]

Timeline

December 2017

27 December

On 27 December 2017, as people sharing pictures and videos of Movahed waving her scarf, it went viral, where people starting looking for her through the hashtag "Where_is_she?" (#دختر_خیابان_انقلاب_کجاست, "Where is the girl of Enghelab Street" in Persian) on the social media, while there was no sign who she was, days later Nasrin Sotoudeh, the human rights activist lawyer who also has been in jail, started an investigation to identify the girl of Enghelab Street, the lawyer found out that the girl is 31 years old and was arrested on the spot with her 19-month-old baby.[1][2][3]

January 2018

24 January

On 24 January 2018 Amnesty International called Iranian government to free the arrested woman unconditionally.[18]

28 January

On 28 January 2018, Movahed was released according to Nasrin Sotoudeh, the lawyer who has been investigating the case.[6][7]

29 January

On 29 January 2018, a woman was arrested in Tehran after re-enacting Movahed's protest by standing on the same telecom box in Enqelab Street, taking off her white Hijab, and holding it up on a stick. Photos has been posted on social media shows that there was at least three other women re-enacting Movahed's protest in Tehran on 29 January including one near Ferdowsi Square.[5]

30 January

According to Nasrin Sotoudeh on 30 January 2018, the second woman who was arrested on 29 January 2018 name was Narges Hosseini (pronounced [næɾɡes hosejniː], nar-ges hoh-sey-nih)) whose age is unknown.[19]

On 30 January 2018, several more women but also men protested against it by re-enacting Movahed's protest, number of arrests is unknown.[9][8]

31 January

On 31 January 2018, Iran's chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri called the protests, "trivial" and "childish" moves that were incited by foreigners.[20]

The deputy speaker of parliament, Ali Motahari told that there is no compulsory hijab in Iran as women show up wearing whatever they like so hijab is not compulsory in Iran.[21][22][23][24]

February 2018

1 February

Iranian Police department on 1st February 2018 said, they have arrested 29 women for taking off their hijab.[25][26][27][28]

2 February

On 2nd February 2018 Heather Nauert, spokeswoman of the United States Department of State said that United States condemns the arrests of people who are protesting against compulsory hijab law, and United States supports those people.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

4 February

On 4th February 2018, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, Iranian judge and prosecutor said, some of the arrested women were on "synthetic drugs"; he also declared that if it is proven their protests were organized, their crime will be much heavier.[35]

6 February

On 6 February 2018, campaign on social media with the hashtag #NoHijabDay raises, where other women from around the world burn their hijabs in solidarity with Iranian women who are forced to wear hijab.[36][37][38]

Reactions

National

International

  • Amnesty International –
    • Amnesty International was the first on 24 January 2018 to call Iranian government to free the first arrested woman.[18]
  •  United States –

See also

References

  1. ^ a b D'Ignoti, Stefania (18 January 2018). "Women's campaigns flourish beyond Iran protests". Al Monitor. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b Alfatlawi, Rosie (20 January 2018). "'#Where is She?' Iranians Seek Answers Over Disappearance of Hijab-waving Icon". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Iran lawyer raises concern over missing hijab protester". The Daily Star (Lebanon). 22 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Norman, Greg (23 January 2018). "Iranian woman in iconic video feared to have been arrested after waving hijab on a stick". Fox News. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Second woman arrested in Tehran for hijab protest". TheGuardian.com. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b Sotoudeh, Nasrin (28 January 2018). "Girl of Enghelab street was released" (in Persian). Facebook. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b Lusher, Adam (29 January 2018). "Girl of Enghelab Street: Iranian woman who stood in Tehran street without a hijab released from custody, says lawyer". The Independent. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b Alimardani, Mahsa (30 January 2018). "The 'Girls of Revolution Street' Protest Iran's Compulsory Hijab Laws". Global Voices (NGO). Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  9. ^ a b Esfandiari, Golnaz (30 January 2018). "Uncovered 'Girl From Revolution Street' Picks Up Steam In Iran". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  10. ^ Lockett, Jon (23 January 2018). "Brave Iranian woman vanishes and is feared arrested after standing on Tehran pillar box waving her hijab in protest". The Sun. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  11. ^ "638". Book #5 of the Islamic Penal Code (Sanctions and deterrent penalties) (in Persian).
  12. ^ El Guindi, Fadwa (1999). Veil: Modesty, Privacy and Resistance. Oxford; New York: Berg Publishers; Bloomsbury Academic. p. 3, 13-16, 130, 174-176. ISBN 9781859739242.
  13. ^ Abrahamian, Ervand (2008). A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 84, 94-95. ISBN 9780521528917.
  14. ^ a b c d Milani, Farzaneh (1992). Veils and Words: The Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. p. 19, 34-37. ISBN 9780815602668.
  15. ^ a b Algar, Hamid (2001). Roots of the Islamic Revolution in Iran: Four Lectures. Oneonta, New York: Islamic Publications International (IPI). p. 84. ISBN 9781889999265.
  16. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/04/world/middleeast/iran-hijab-veils.html
  17. ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2018/02/05/Half-of-Iranians-say-no-to-compulsory-veils-a-pillar-of-the-1979-Islamic-Revolution/stories/201802040201
  18. ^ a b "Iran Urged To Free Woman Who Took Stand Against Compulsory Veiling". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Iran headscarf protester arrested: Lawyer". The Straits Times. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Iran's Chief Prosecutor Quips at Headscarf Protests, Blames Foreigners". Sputnik. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  21. ^ a b "مطهری: هیچ اجباری برای حجاب زنان در جامعه دیده نمی‌شود" (in Persian). ISNA. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Protests against compulsory hijab trigger debate in Iran". Al Monitor. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  23. ^ a b "Iran arrests 29 women as headscarf protests intensify-". The Times of India. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  24. ^ a b "29 women held as protests against dress code intensify in Iran". DAWN. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  25. ^ Gerretsen, Isabelle (1 February 2018). "Iran: 29 women arrested over anti-hijab protests inspired by 'girl of Enghelab Street'". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  26. ^ "Iranian Police Arrest 29 Women Protesting Against Veiling Law". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  27. ^ Dehghan, Saeed Kamali (2 February 2018). "Tehran hijab protest: Iranian police arrest 29 women". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  28. ^ http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/iran-arrests-29-women-wearing-hijab-protests-180202084416823.html
  29. ^ a b Nauert, Heather (2 February 2018). "Protests and Arrests in Iran, February 2, 2018". United States Department of State. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  30. ^ a b "Iran arrests 29 linked to protests against compulsory hijab". The Straits Times. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  31. ^ a b "U.S. Condemns Iran's Arrest Of Protesters Against Compulsory Hijab". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  32. ^ a b "US extends support to protests against forced hijab in Iran". United News of India. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  33. ^ a b "US criticises Iran against apprehension of compulsory hijab protesters". Pakistan Today. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  34. ^ a b "Washington supports Iranian women protesting against compulsory hijab". Egypt Today. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  35. ^ a b "مطهری: هیچ اجباری برای حجاب زنان در جامعه دیده نمی‌شود" (in Persian). ISNA. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  36. ^ Dunphy, Liz (6 February 2018). "Women around world burn headscarves to mark No Hijab Day saying: "We are not candies to be covered"". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  37. ^ Nazarian, Adelle (6 February 2018). "#NoHijabDay: Women Around World Burn Hijabs in Solidarity with Iranian Women". Breitbart News. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  38. ^ Khalaf, Rayana (6 February 2018). "#NoHijabDay: Women burn their hijabs, sparking online debate". StepFeed. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
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