Der Kampf, den iranische Frauen gewinnen

Arash Azizi: “On a busy sidewalk outside a café, a group of young people, many of them women, bob their heads to the beat of ‘Seven Nation Army,’ by the White Stripes. Huddled around a live band, some shake their hair while others rhythmically swing.

“The scene wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in most cities. But a clip of it went viral, viewed by millions on X and Instagram, because it happened in Tehran. Western rock music is mostly banned in the Islamic Republic, and women are forbidden to dance in public, smoke, and—most important—bare their hair. Iran’s mandatory-hijab law requires women to cover their head and entire body, except for their face and hands below the wrist. Showing so much as an ear or an elbow could count as a crime.

“In September 2022, a young woman was picked up by Tehran’s morality police for sporting ‘improper hijab.’ She died in custody. A mass revolt ensued—one that lasted for months and demanded an end not just to the mandatory hijab, but to the Islamic Republic as well. The movement failed to achieve that larger goal, but it did radically change public life in Iran. Technically, the hijab remains mandatory. Yet for the first time since its founding, the regime has lost the ability to enforce that law.

“The evidence of this failure is visible everywhere. A few weeks ago, I video-called a friend in Tehran and was shocked to see her wearing a tank top on the street. As she walked around, I saw dozens of other women with their hair uncovered. Some were even wearing shorts or showing their midriff.

“The change is not limited to the wealthy neighborhoods of northern Tehran, where enforcement has always been slightly laxer. The viral dancing video was filmed in the district of Iranshahr, in central Tehran. Videos from Isfahan, Arak, and other cities show throngs of hijab-less women outdoors. There are other signs that Iran’s previously relentless social repression is beginning to relax. Despite an official ban on celebrating Halloween, thousands of Tehranis, including many unveiled women, donned costumes last week. Speaking to a dissident media outlet based in London, a woman said that she’d recently been able to pass through airport security without hijab.

“But hijab is no side issue for Tehran’s rulers. The Iranian American analyst Karim Sadjadpour rightly counts it as one of the three remaining ideological pillars of the regime, alongside anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism. The regime’s retreat on the issue is therefore an achievement, but not one that the movement can consider settled, as the hijab mandate is still subject to factional wrangling.”

Read more: [https://theatln.tc/OPsJR1i4](https://theatln.tc/OPsJR1i4)

Iranian population is systematically more liberal and modern in comparison to Gulf Arab monarchies or nations such as Pakistan. Just take a look at number of female students at universities in Iran and numbers in Gulf Arab monarchies.

That being said, this aricle brings nothing new to light. Also internal Iranian protests happen every 4-5 years but the goverment stays.

Persian women are hot.