Last updated:

January 28, 2025

Optional coverage is desired by the majority of society; not the “Noor” plan / Elaheh Amani.

The recent wave of suppressing women’s choice of clothing once again brings to mind the unsafe history of silencing, suppressing, harassing, denying, and expelling women from public spaces, especially the streets, in the past 45 years. The “Light Plan,” which has been implemented for a month now, once again tests the unsuccessful attempts of the past to impose mandatory hijab and ignore women’s presence in public and safe streets. The Light Plan, a security and suppressive plan, goes against the desires of the majority of Iranian society regarding optional clothing.

The story of the imposition of mandatory hijab and the resistance against it dates back 45 years. The haunting chants of “scarf or coffin” from the memories of the generation that was present in the streets in 1979 have not been erased. The women of the revolutionary generation experienced sexual harassment and abuse in public places, similar to women in other countries, but their clothing and personal freedoms, although limited, were neither religiously nor politically forbidden, and did not put them in danger on the streets.

The confrontational encounter with optional covering and strategies to limit women’s presence in public spaces, imposition of mandatory veiling, and combating “improper veiling” and “unveiling” and preventing women from entering offices, public places, and transportation services, began on July 1, 1980, with the order of Hojjat al-Islam Reza Shahri, the then head of the Revolutionary Court. In November 1983, with the approval of the Islamic Penal Code, not adhering to mandatory veiling in public spaces and streets was punishable by up to 74 lashes. During the years 1985 to 1996, while mandatory veiling and its non-compliance were costly, women’s presence on the streets and their votes at the ballot boxes were used as tools of both bright and dim colors.

With the arrival of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 1384 (2005), in continuation of systematic oppression, the “hijab and chastity plan” was announced by him and the green vans on the streets made the public space tense and unsafe for women. In 1388 (2009), this plan was weakened and a year later, under a different approach called the “moral security plan”, it continued. Once again, with empty promises for elections and the need for women’s presence at the ballot boxes for the presidency, the implementation of this plan was weakened. In 1392 (2013), the Guidance Patrol was deployed to promote this plan and combat instances of improper hijab and lack of hijab, bringing their harmful presence – this time with seven thousand law enforcement officers – not only on the streets, but also in personal vehicles and even in the stairwells of private buildings and elsewhere. This enormous amount of resources that should be spent on empowering and improving people’s

History in all human societies reminds us that wherever there is injustice, resistance becomes inevitable. Langston Hughes, the African American poet, eloquently states that “

What happens to postponed dreams? Do they dry up like raisins in the sun? Or do they explode?»

Optional coverage has been one of the continuous actions of women and girls in Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the fight against gender segregation in public spaces and the elimination and expulsion of their presence. The first protest presence of women in the streets of various cities during the week of March 8, 1979 marked the beginning.

The revolutionary movement of “Women’s Freedom” was an explosion of suppressed desires and dreams, and the pent-up anger of four decades of women and girls who rose up against the previous uprisings and specifically against authoritarianism in both private and public spheres. This movement was a response, especially from generations who had been denied and excluded from public spaces and streets with various plans and restrictions, and had been forced into the private sphere, rejecting the false dichotomy of “man outside, woman at home.” Young women tasted the sweetness of claiming their share of the streets, reclaiming public spaces, and turning their dreams into reality at a high cost in historic and passionate moments. In fact, the movement of “Women’s Freedom” showcased the agency of women and girls in different parts of Iran, taking over public spaces and streets, and allowing them to experience their long-delayed dreams, albeit briefly and at a high cost.

This time, the “Noor Plan” is also in line with the systematic suppression of women’s and girls’ demands for the right to choose their clothing, and those in power have not learned from the past four decades of intrusive plans and actions that this is a futile effort. The Noor Plan, which was implemented on the streets even before it became a law, and due to its illegality, even provoked opposition from some members of parliament, has a high cost in terms of increased police presence and force, risking the safety of women and girls on the streets and exacerbating the already high levels of social tension and crises. However, it is futile in the face of systematic and unjust suppression, and only adds to the burden of women and girls.

That cup broke and that glass spilled.

Neither widespread deployment of personal clothing forces and special units in cities, nor physical confrontation, beating and arresting of women and girls under the pretext of dress code, nor the use of smart methods such as facial recognition cameras to identify opponents of mandatory hijab, nor filing and security charges against women’s rights activists, nor fines and impounding of personal vehicles, nor filing, arrest and trial of individuals who protest against it in virtual and social media, can prevent the will of the majority of the Iranian people from pursuing the struggle for optional dress – which is only one of the demands of the majority of society. The “Light Plan” has faced widespread domestic and international reactions and has been condemned as a blatant violation of human rights and individual freedoms.

Abbas Abdi, one of the powerful owners, referring to the financial, psychological, social, and political costs of optional coverage for women and girls, says: “They have put their hands in this hole several times and have been chosen and are still repeating it. They do not pay attention to the negative consequences of these policies, which are very damaging.”

The Noor plan has also faced opposition from the religious women in society. Tahereh Talaghani, an Islamic scholar and daughter of Mahmoud Talaghani, stated that hijab is not a commandment in the Quran, but only a recommendation. She said that mandatory hijab violates the “freedom and dignity” of women and the government should put an end to this “humiliation and violence.”

The reality is that the suppression and arrests of this plan – which led to the arrest of five hundred women and girls in the first week – have deepened the gap between the people and the government more than ever before, and have also provoked resistance, opposition, and criticism from political spectrums and families who were previously silent.

***

The street does not belong to those in power. It belongs to the citizens, and women and girls are half of Iranian society and they want their share of the street and public space to be safe and secure. A safe space where their human rights, including the choice of clothing, gender equality, and social justice, are respected and supported by the political will of the government.

Today, the streets have become a platform for women’s agency, and women and girls are declaring their presence in public spaces through creative and innovative methods and acts of resistance, spreading courage and sowing seeds of hope in people’s hearts.

Created By: Elahe Amani
May 21, 2024

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