A new wave of protests against the compulsory wearing of hijab has spread across Iran, resulting in the arrests of dozens of women. The government has accused the protesters of being under the influence of drugs.
Fighting Iran s strict hijab rules
The veil became a hallmark of this new, old order symbolizing Iran s decidedly anti-Western way of life. The Islamic Revolution developed into a sexual counter-revolution, a fight over women s sexuality, writes US political scientist Hamideh Sedghi in her 2007 report
Women and Politics in Iran: Veiling, Unveiling, and Reveiling. Sexuality had thus become a deeply politicized issue, with a strong anti-Western connotation. One of the slogans making the rounds in 1979 was: Wear a veil, or we will punch your head. Another was: Death to the unveiled. Whisper Tapes takes a look at Kate Millett s historic visit to Iran in 1979