Covering Up: Wearing Hijab in Iran

I am aware that the wearing of hijab is a globally contentious issue. My personal view is that no woman should be forced to cover her head or face; indeed, no one of any gender should be obliged to do such a thing. I have had moments when I have wondered, going along this line of thought, whether anyone should be compelled to wear anything. This, obviously, is a potentially huge debate. In Western societies, it is the convention that (other than in certain designated places) one does not walk around naked in public; yet in other cultures this is deemed perfectly acceptable, not at all obscene, and isn’t regarded as an issue. If a society requires certain body parts to be covered in public and deems it entirely appropriate to arrest anyone walking outside in their naked, natural state, I suppose it is, objectively speaking, slightly odd that the same society should get very upset when other cultural groups enforce the veiling of different areas of the body. Is it double standards? Of course, for Western societies, the major concern with the idea of hijab is the fact that only women are required to cover up in this way, and men are not subject to such restrictions. However, it is worth considering that, on a hot day in most Western countries, a man sitting in a public park or even walking down a street can remove his shirt, exposing his chest, and no one will bat an eyelid. The same would not be true if a woman did likewise. What does this say about our cultural norms? What does it say about the consistency of our arguments? We do have to be careful and not assume that hijab is always symbolic of female oppression. I know some women prefer to wear it, but in certain countries and within certain groups, it is not a choice; it is compulsory. There is a clear difference between those who choose and those who are forced. Forcing a woman simply because she is a woman to cover herself up is a form of subjugation. That is undoubtedly a case of double standards and, for me, a blatant example of men (who make and largely enforce such rules) controlling women. Naturally, there will be some females who themselves aid and abet such behaviour for reasons of their own, and we shouldn’t ignore this.

Having said all of the above, I also think that if you are going to visit another country, you must be prepared, for the duration of your stay, to abide by that country’s rules and customs. If you don’t like them and cannot tolerate them, even for a short time, don’t go there. It really is that simple. So, when I visited Iran, I had to accept the mandatory wearing of hijab at all times when I was outside my hotel room. It was admittedly very difficult to get used to, and, in order to avoid forgetting to cover up, I had to try and change my mindset to thinking that I wasn’t fully dressed without the headscarf. In a warm climate, I also found it very hot and uncomfortable to wear. Still, I had decided to visit Iran, and I am not in a position to make demands about exceptions being made for me in someone else’s country. If I couldn’t hack it, then I shouldn’t have gone there.

above: In Esfahan.

above and below: Wearing the Chador in Qom.

above: Visiting the shrine of Fatima Masumeh in Qom.

In some holy places, I was required to cover up even more. Visiting the shrines of Fatima Masumeh in Qom and Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze in Shiraz, I was provided with a chador to wear over my clothes. A chador is a cloak that covers you from head to foot, and I noted that whilst most female pilgrims we saw wore black ones, the chadors we lady tourists were given looked like chintz curtains, as you can see from the photographs. Whether this was intentional or not, I have no idea, but it made the foreign vacationers very easy to spot. My chador was far too long for me, but thankfully I managed to avoid tripping over it, which might have resulted in a culturally embarrassing incident, to say the least. I was unavoidably reminded of the school dressing-up box, and I think all of us in the group felt we looked ridiculous, laughing about it amongst ourselves.  

above: Visiting Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze in Shiraz.

However, the wearing of hijab is no laughing matter for many women in Iran. When we visited the tomb of the poet Sa’adi in Shiraz, a group of three Iranian ladies approached our group. One of them said something in Farsi, which I later understood to be along the lines of, ‘It’s ridiculous that we have to wear these things,’ and, without warning, she pulled my headscarf off and her own. I didn’t quite know how to react in the moment, as I suppose I was taken aback and not a little worried about the possible reactions of the guards at the site to my uncovered head. The tour guide simply told me to put my scarf back on and admonished the lady who had removed it, saying it was unfair to do that to a tourist. She apologised but stood for a photo, proudly and defiantly uncovered. She was a courageous woman; the penalties for refusing to wear hijab in Iran are severe. A woman died in custody a few years ago after being arrested for not wearing hijab properly. Mass protests ensued, but the hijab laws remain in place. Just a few days ago, a student at a Tehran university stepped out onto the streets in her underwear in an astonishing act of defiance. She has since disappeared, with authorities claiming she was suffering from a mental disorder.

I would like to point out that I loved pretty much every moment of my stay in Iran, a stunningly beautiful country with a remarkable history rich in artistic and cultural legacy. It remains one of the most memorable places I have ever had the privilege to visit. The Iranians I have met (and I have met a few, both in Iran and in other countries) have all been charming, educated, intelligent, engaging, and welcoming people, and it would be a huge mistake to assume that the theocratic regime currently ruling the country is endorsed by all its citizens. My personal experience suggests quite the reverse. I salute the incredibly brave women, who possess far greater courage than I ever would, and the men (for many do exist) who support them in their battle against a tyrannical and misogynistic regime. Having to wear hijab, even for a brief period of time, was a stark reminder to me to be grateful for the freedom I enjoy in my country and that, wherever and whoever we are in the world, we must never take freedom for granted.

 

For information about the fight for women’s freedoms in Iran:

Home - MSF

For more information on the sites mentioned:

Fatima Masumeh Shrine - Wikipedia

Ali Ibn Hamzeh Holly Shrine (Shiraz) | Ali Ibn Hamza Mausoleum ⭐ IranOnTour

Nestled in the heart of the ancient city of Shiraz, Iran, the Saadi Tomb