“We are not fighting against a piece of cloth, we are fighting for our dignity. If you can’t choose what to put on your head, they won’t let you be in charge of what is in your head either”- Masih Alinejad
In case you haven’t already seen this photo or heard the buzz surrounding it, this is Vida Movahed. On December 27th 2017, she stood proudly on one of Tehran’s busiest roads and removed her headscarf. In the following weeks, many women all over Iran began to follow her example.
You might ask, why is wearing a hijab her prime concern when one could say that gender equality rights or political rights in general in Iran could be considered of higher importance? Women such as Movahed believe that the hijab acts as one of the most visible forms of repression upon women and that the compulsory law for women to wear them diminishes a woman’s control over her own body.
Similar to the #metoo movement, which gained major traction through social media, the photo of Vida Movahed started a movement through media throughout Iran and led many other women to take a stand against the compulsory hijab law. Being a collegiate women means that we are a part of a generation which utilizes media to spread ideas in an environment which allows almost all voices to be heard. This is why the movement against the hijab is of equal importance with issues of women’s education or political strife in the Middle East. While some Islamic women may make the decision to wear their hijabs proudly in the name of their religion or in the name of the traditions of their family, those who choose to protest against it because they believe it to be a symbolic restriction placed upon women’s control over their own bodies also have an equal right to raise their voice through the media.
“Women are showing that they are no longer afraid. We used to fear the government, now it’s the government that fears women.”- Masih Alinejad