A growing number of Iranian women have shed their headscarves since the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman in morality police custody in September. Mahsa Amini had been arrested for allegedly violating the hijab rule. Security forces violently put down the revolt.
Even so, women continue to appear unveiled in malls, restaurants, stores and streets across the country, risking arrest for defying the mandatory dress code. Videos of unveiled women resisting the morality police have flooded social media.
The police statement on Saturday called on business owners to “seriously monitor compliance with social norms with their diligent inspections.”
Under Iranian Islamic law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women are required to cover their hair and wear long, loose clothing to conceal their figure. Violators face public reprimands, fines or arrest.