Iran women stay defiant by posting photos without hijab amidst Tehran's crackdown

Iranian women have remained defiant of the country’s authorities as Tehran sought to crack down on the women who are not wearing hijabs. The women have shared pictures of themselves without wearing the veils as the police deadline was approaching for the crackdown on women flouting the country’s strict dress code.

Al Jazeera reported that a growing number of Iranian women are sharing photos of themselves without wearing the hijab on social media, on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter – that they access by working around government restrictions. Some women have only opted to be unveiled in their photos while others have shared photos of themselves dressing in their clothing of choice, doing away with the loose-fitting gowns that the country’s clerical leaders imposed since the 1979 Revolution.

While many of the photos were shared online anonymously, some women have shown their faces in the photos as they take pictures of themselves in public spaces. Men have also joined in defiance, sharing photos of themselves in shorts in public – which is also considered illegal in the country.

The growing defiance by women as well as men of adhering to the strict dress code has continued since September following the death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. Amini died days after she was detained by the morality police for allegedly flouting the strict dress code. Tehran has since blamed its foreign adversaries, including the United States and Israel, for the unrest that has resulted from Amini’s death in the form of anti-government protests.

Authorities have held back on enforcing a heavy crackdown on the issue of wearing the hijab, and the morality police have also kept a low profile. However, senior clerical leaders have stressed the importance of wearing the hijab.

The defiance of Iranian women and men also comes as Iranian police announced over the weekend that they would be installing cameras in public spaces to identify and punish women who are not wearing their hijabs. The police said in a statement announcing the move that once the women are identified, they will receive a warning via text message of the consequences if they continue to ditch the headscarf.