‘Vulgar’ video of unveiled women attending art show sparks controversy in Iran

TEHRAN — Tehran University cut short on Sunday its participation in events marking the city’s design week after videos of unveiled women attending a show spread online and sparked controversy.

Events under the umbrella of Tehran Design Week will continue into Monday at other venues, but the university said it was closing its premises to ensure public safety after “a massive influx of visitors.”

The program, which began on Tuesday, has already proved a success, with designers, brands and artists holding public events showcasing trends in 60 venues around the Iranian capital.

But one event at the university, in which avant garde designs were celebrated with a show that included electronic music and colorful projections, attracted unwelcome attention.

After videos of the event went viral online, the local news agency Fars reported that “a piece of music with political connotations” was audible behind “vulgar” images of unveiled women.

The university did not comment on this allegation, but canceled the remaining events it was due to host in the final days of design week.

Under the rules imposed after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, all women in Iran are required to cover their hair with a veil in public and wear modest and loose-fitting clothing.

But in major cities, particularly Tehran, many women now openly go out without a veil or wear jeans or even tight or revealing outfits that would have been unimaginable in Iran just a few months ago.

The head of the judiciary in Iran, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has ordered a crackdown on these violations, local media reported Friday.

In recent months, authorities have closed several cafes and restaurants for failing to enforce the mandatory veil or for serving alcohol, which is prohibited in Iran.

Tensions over the country’s restrictive dress code laws came to a head in 2022, after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who died in police custody after she was detained for allegedly dressing immodestly.

Her death sparked wide protest across the country, which rattled Iran’s leadership that autumn and winter, but authorities quickly crushed them, with rights group Amnesty International saying security forces used assault rifles and shotguns in the crackdown.

Human rights groups say at least 551 people were killed. Thousands more were arrested, according to the United Nations.