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Hijab or no hijab?
Some women on the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran choose not to wear headscarves.
The Iranian regime prescribes it differently: women should cover their hair with a cloth.
The Iranian moral police is responsible for monitoring compliance with the headscarf requirement.
In mid-September, 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died after being ill-treated in custody by the vice squad.
She allegedly wore her headscarf incorrectly.
Since her death, violent protests have broken out across the country.
According to the government, 200 people have already died.
Human rights organizations speak of more than 400 dead and thousands arrested.
Bahar Abdi, student
»I may not have removed my hijab during these protests.
I have no problem wearing hijab.
But I don't think everyone should wear the hijab.
Everyone should be free to choose how and whether to cover their heads.”
Fatemeh Nojavan, student
»The rules should be relaxed.
Duty is not good, it should not be duty.
I like seeing other people's hair.
This is how it should go.
Everyone should be allowed to wear what they like.«
News spread over the weekend that the Iranian moral police would be disbanded.
However, the decision does not appear to be that clear.
And even if the moral police were abolished, the regime would still have enough options to enforce the headscarf requirement in other ways, such as with video surveillance.
The strict regulations are only part of the laws that restrict the rights of women in Iran in particular.
For example, women are not allowed to divorce or sing in public – and men are allowed to forbid their wives to go to work.
Activists called for a three-day strike and further protests on Monday.
Many shops in the country, like here in the capital Tehran, have remained closed since then.
