Everything we think, say, or do has consequences, no matter how small or insignificant we may think they are in the moment.
After a lifetime of hiding, 1 woman decided to be honest with herself for the first time in her life even if it meant breaking the law. Instead of being celebrated or accepted for her honesty and courage, the young woman was violently attacked and rebuked. However, her small act of defiance set off a chain reaction she could never have dreamed of…
Islamic Law
As part of Iran’s Islamic law, which was put in place since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, women are required to wear a veil in public so that their hair is completely covered. Islamic code also mandates that women are forbidden from touching, dancing, or singing with a man outside of their family.
A Strict Dress Code
For women in Iran, only their faces, hands, and feet are allowed to be seen in public, and the colors of their clothing must also be unassuming. So when a young woman decided to defy the decades-old code, some people were outraged…
A Stroll In The Park
In April 2018, a young woman was walking in a public park in Tehran, the capital of Iran, in the middle of the day. Normally, this should have been an uneventful day for the woman, whose name has not been released to the media, but it took an unfortunate turn when people around her saw that her hair was uncovered.
The Punishment
Since the Islamic code has been deemed mandatory throughout the country, any women seen without their veil in public has traditionally been punished by being arrested, sentenced to a jail term usually less than 2 months, and forced to pay fines of about $25…
Act Of Defiance
Despite the risk of punishment, some still try to defy the rules by loosely draping their veil in public or going without it completely. In April 2018, a young woman decided to join those brave women, and walk in public without her veil.
A Shocking Encounter
She was prepared for some comments by conservative strangers, but never guessed the response a stranger would have at seeing her hair. Within minutes of walking in the park, the woman encountered a member of Iran’s morality police…
The Morality Police
The morality police in Iran, called the Gasht-e Ershad, is a force of undercover agents sent out to walk the streets and ensure that citizens are following conduct codes, especially in regard to women having their hair and bodies completely covered.
An Overzealous Agent
The morality police regularly yell at, give out fines to, and even arrest any woman violating the laws or wearing cosmetics, which is also discouraged but not illegal. However, the undercover agent that saw the young woman in the park went to extreme measures to enforce Islamic law…
The Altercation
During the altercation, which was filmed on a phone by a stranger, the young woman, who is believed to be in her mid-20s, had been minding her own business and taking a leisurely stroll through the park with a friend when a member of the morality police approached her.
Escalating Violence
The agent began yelling at the woman because her veil was around her shoulders, but the altercation quickly escalated. The female officer is filmed slapping the woman and then starts wrestling her to the ground with the help of other conservative women…
Unanswered Cries
The young woman was completely defenseless as the morality police agent and other women violently attacked her. “Let me go, let me go,” the young woman was heard screaming in the footage. When the assault was done, the victim was left lying on the floor, crying, and injured.
Going Viral
The person who filmed the disturbing scene later uploaded the footage to show what life was really like for women in Iran. The video went viral within hours of being posted online. People around the country, as well as around the world, expressed their sadness and disappointment at the disturbing attack…
The Response
In response to the video, an investigation into the attack was ordered by officials who felt the agent’s actions were extreme. “How could this treatment be justified?” Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s vice-president for women’s affairs, said.
Unacceptable Behavior
“Even if they were insulted, should the police react like this? I categorically condemn this behavior and will pursue the matter. This is a harsh and anti-religious treatment that no human deserves,” Masoumeh added. She wasn’t the only official to comment on the agent’s unacceptable behavior…
The President Speaks Out
President Hassan Rouhani also publicly criticized the way the morality police, whose mandate is to promote virtue and prevent vice, handled the situation. “Grabbing people’s collars to promote virtue will not work,” Rouhani said. “You cannot do it by being aggressive.”
A Chain Reaction
The young woman never imagined her small, personal act of defiance and liberation would gain so much attention and would spark a widespread, international movement to fight the compulsory wearing of the hijab as not everyone likes being forced to cover themselves…
#WhiteWednesday
In response to the video, women in Iran have bravely been removing their hijabs in public, posting pictures of themselves with their hair exposed on social media, and taking part in a movement called #WhiteWednesdays, which was started by Masih Alinejad, by wearing white hijabs to legally protest the mandate.
Time To Fight Back
“For almost 4 decades, we, the women of Iran, have been unhappy about compulsory hijab. And we had the fear inside our heart,” Masih explained. “But now… I think the government of Iran, they have the fear of these brave women…”
The Right To Choose
The movement doesn’t want to ban the hijab, but give women the choice to choose for themselves if they want to be covered up in public. “After the revolution, the government of Iran has started to write their ideology in our body,” Masih said. “We want to be free to choose our lifestyle. We want to be free to have the same rights as men having inside Iran.”
Small Progress
In response, officials in Iran’s announced that women with hair exposed in public within the capital would no longer get arrested or have judicial cases filed against them. Instead, the government will try to ‘educate’ the offender. However, there is still plenty of work for social activists to do since it doesn’t apply to women across all of Iran.
Strangers Violently Attack A Woman Because Of What Wasn’t On Her Head is an article from: LifeDaily