Women in Iran remove their hijabs as 2nd anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death nears
The young woman had died after being arrested by morality police for not wearing the mandatory headscarf, sparking mass protests
On the streets of Iranian cities, it is becoming more common to see a woman passing by without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, as the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked approaches.
There is no government official or study acknowledging the phenomenon, which began as Iran entered its hot summer months and power cuts in its overburdened electrical system became common.
But across social media, videos of people filming neighbourhood streets or just talking about a normal day in their life, women and girls can be seen walking past with their long hair out over their shoulders, particularly after sunset.
This defiance comes despite what United Nations investigators describe as “expanded repressive measures and policies” by Iran’s theocracy to punish them – though there’s been no recent catalysing event like Amini’s death to galvanise demonstrators.
The country’s new reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian campaigned on a promise to halt the harassment of women by morality police. But the country’s ultimate authority remains the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in the past said “unveiling is both religiously forbidden and politically forbidden”.
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Iranian women join hijab-burning protest after Mahsa Amini dies while in ‘morality police’ custody
For some observant Muslim women, the head covering is a sign of piety before God and modesty in front of men outside their families. In Iran, the hijab – and the all-encompassing black chador worn by some – has long been a political symbol as well.