Tehran: Within only a few days of the anti-government demonstrations in Iran, news of hijab protests by women have surfaced from different cities in Iran. The women protesters were demanding the withdrawal of the compulsory hijab law for the Iranian women. 29 women participating in the protests were arrested by the security agencies. While this action was on, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s office, published a three-year report creating a sensation. About 49% of the Iranian population feels that there should be no hijab compulsion.
The hijab was made compulsory by law after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. To oppose this, in the month of December, a woman named ‘Masih Alinejad’, started anti-hijab protests and dubbed this agitation as ‘White Wednesday’. Also in December, the ‘White Wednesday’ protests were on, along with the demonstrations against the economic policies of the Iranian government. Women from the capital Tehran, Kaum and many other cities participated in the demonstrations.
The women challenged this three-decade old law standing in the city square. Initially the scale of the protests was limited. But, once the photographs of these protests were circulated on the social media, other women and even men joined the protests. As the security agencies took action against the social media, more information could not be published about these protests.
The security agencies in Iran gave out the information about the protests on Friday. The security agencies have announced that 29 women who were perceived as a threat to the Iranian security have been detained. Names of Vida Mohaved, Shima Babei, Nargis Hussaini have come forward. Some more women are missing as per the claims by some female reporters.
The security agencies have asked for a bail amount of 1.25 hundred thousand dollars as the bail amount for the release of these women. These women are languishing in the prison due to this, it is claimed. While the action by the security agencies against the anti-hijab protestors is being resented, President Rouhani has published the three-year old report ‘Hesamodin Ashna’. Three years ago, a survey was conducted in Iran. In the survey, 49% of the people had vehemently opposed the hijab compulsion. Importantly, even men had opposed, not only the women. The citizens were of the opinion that wearing a hijab is a personal choice and the government should not interfere in that.
Meanwhile, the western media is claiming that President Rouhani has opened a tactical front against the hardliners in Iran, by making the survey public when the people are already agitated due to the action taken against the anti-hijab protestors. It is also said that this is one more step by President Rouhani against Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme authority according to the Iranian political system. Rouhani had supported the protests in December. But, he had appealed for peaceful protests.
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