TEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian vice president for women’s affairs insists the government opposes using “force” to ensure women wear the hijab, after a spate of protests stirred debate over the mandatory headscarf.
Masoomeh Ebtekar tells a press conference in Tehran Wednesday that every country has a dress code: “There is no city in the world where you can walk naked in the streets and you won’t be approached by a particular regulatory body.”
She says Iran’s hijab laws — which require women to wear a headscarf and long coat, as well as banning shorts for men — were a “social regulation.”
Masoomeh Ebtekar (Vahid Salemi/AP)
“Our position is that it’s a regulation but the use of force — we don’t go along with that type of enforcement,” she says.
“That is contrary to the basic principles and philosophy that the government of (President Hassan) Rouhani follows.”
Her comments follow a string of protests, mostly in Tehran, in which more than a dozen woman have stood in main thoroughfares without their headscarves.
The women risk prison sentences of up to two months for not wearing the headscarf, but up to 10 years if they are found to be encouraging others.
— AFP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
