Useful information
Prime News delivers timely, accurate news and insights on global events, politics, business, and technology
The hijab debate gained further momentum last week when Parastoo Ahmadi, a popular Iranian singer, was arrested after broadcast a virtual concert without an audience present on YouTube without wearing the hijab, external.
The concert quickly went viral, and the arrest of Ahmadi and his bandmates sparked widespread backlash. Faced with public outcry, the authorities released them the next day.
Tensions over the hijab have remained high since nationwide protests in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa “Zhina” Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being detained for allegedly violating the dress code.
Over the past two years, many young Iranian women have defiantly removed their hijab in public, challenging the authority of the government.
Last week, more than 300 Iranian human rights activists, writers and journalists publicly condemned the new hijab law, calling it “illegitimate and unenforceable” and urged Pezeshkian to fulfill his campaign promises.
Despite pressure from hardline factions close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, many young people in Iran appear unafraid to confront the regime’s restrictions.
Pezeshkian’s supporters believe the new hijab law will fail to deter young women from challenging it and could even make the situation worse.
However, supporters of the legislation have pressured the president to move forward, criticizing the National Security Council’s hesitations and demanding that he sign the law to clear the way for its implementation.
The decision to suspend its implementation suggests the government fears it could trigger another wave of mass protests, like those seen two years ago.
