Minireh Arabshahi is a civil activist and one of the opponents of mandatory hijab in Iran. She was previously a radio health program host for two years and also worked as a radio playwright during that time. This civil activist has also been active as a reporter in social programs focusing on child labor. Prior to this, Ms. Arabshahi worked as a secretary in special schools for elementary and middle school students in Alborz province and also wrote various articles for the magazine “Industrial Day”, including “Spiral Steps Towards Self-Sufficiency”. In Farvardin 98, she and her daughter Yasaman Aryani were arrested and ultimately sentenced to prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court for their activism in women’s rights in Iran. Ms. Arabshahi and her daughter Yasaman spent their imprisonment in Evin, Garchak, Ramin, and Kachoui Karaj prisons. Recently, she was granted a medical furlough and returned to Kachoui Kar

Mrs. Arabshahi, you and your daughter, Yasmin Aryan, are opponents of compulsory hijab in Iran, and for this reason, you have been arrested and imprisoned. Masoumeh Ebtekar, the deputy for women and family affairs of the President, recently stated in a meeting that the officials have turned hijab into a taboo and have imposed it without allowing any questioning. She said, “Opposing and anti-religious media have taken advantage of this issue and used it against the country.” What is your opinion about Mrs. Ebtekar’s remarks? As a civil activist, what do you consider to be the main factor of compulsory hijab in Iranian society? Is it politics or dominant religious and cultural beliefs? Do you see hijab as a taboo or as a cultural practice, or is it imposed by the government?

In my opinion, even according to the priorities of Islam, hijab is not necessary. As far as I know, there is no verse in the Quran that specifically commands women to cover their hair. However, we must distinguish between hijab in the sense of covering one’s hair and body, and hijab in the sense of separation and barrier between two places or two people, which is mentioned in the Quran. I don’t remember exactly! I had read in a hadith or a verse of the Quran that the Prophet of Islam had commanded his wives to cover themselves in public; in other words, to wear hijab. However, this did not apply to slaves, servants, or even women from nomadic tribes or desert dwellers. It is likely that Muhammad’s intention was simply to distinguish his own wives from other women. Otherwise, he would have addressed it as a general decree. It is necessary to answer your question about whether hijab is derived from culture. If we look at

In your opinion, to what extent have the limitations imposed on young women in Iranian society affected the mental well-being of women in our society? For example, issues such as compulsory hijab and restrictions on behavior such as laughing and wearing makeup… Have these affected the young women in our society? Have they made them depressed, aggressive, or suppressed?

I don’t know how scientific this topic is, but experience has taught us that the nature of humans is designed in a way that always reacts negatively to limitations and prohibitions. Now imagine if these limitations were irrational and beyond the threshold of tolerance, especially for the young generation. All humans are created with a free soul, with the right to choose and make decisions. So when the free soul of a human is suppressed, extreme and fanatical reactions arise, and suddenly the young person, whether male or female, becomes indifferent and ineffective (like the young addicted girls I saw in Qarchak and Karaj’s Kajouyi prison). I saw that they were trying to break free from their identity, being treated like a puppet in a closed and restricted society, without a suitable environment for support, growth, and strengthening of their creative and artistic soul. Unfortunately, not only was this environment not provided, but they were faced with repressive and suppressive tools. Young girls who loved to dance

Oh young girls, who despairingly leave behind the continuation of life and prefer death in a dark and confined space with poisoned air; like the blue girl who, due to the ban on women entering the stadium and freely watching and cheering for her favorite team, committed self-immolation and lost her precious life.

Of course, there are also those who have the courage and bravery within them and prefer to stand up and fight against oppression, humiliation, and restrictions that go against human nature, rather than harming themselves physically or mentally. They are willing to pay any price for it.

Here, if there is no obstacle, I would like to share a memory from my youth. This memory is from the 1960s, when I had just started university. During that time, I was a very lively and cheerful girl, despite all the difficulties of that era. As my friends used to say, I would even laugh at the cracks in the walls; but this simple laughter, which promotes mental and physical health and keeps the body active and lively, was suppressed by adults to the point that I gradually felt like I had a moral problem! So we searched for a solution to modify this divine trait, until I decided to go to a psychiatrist, away from my family’s eyes, but I didn’t know any mental health doctors. As a result, I asked my dentist for the address of a psychoanalyst under the pretext of a dental check-up. They asked me for the reason and when they found out, they laughed and said, “It’s a tradition, if

Has the suppression of young women in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the long term led to opposition against women covering themselves?

I must mention that covering women in the Islamic Republic with a covering called Islamic hijab is actually covering the thoughts and ideas of Iranian women. The anti-women government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is trying to take women back to 1400 years ago with this mandatory covering; not 1400 years ago in Iran, but a country that has now come to the conclusion that it is necessary to let go of male dominance and reduce the limitations and prohibitions surrounding women in order to advance society and revive a healthy, active, dynamic and progressive environment.

Yes, young women and girls nowadays have raised their voices against all the unjust restrictions, violence, and inhumane laws associated with the symbol of “hijab”; because as I mentioned before, this covering is actually a cover-up for all the human and natural rights of women.

You mentioned the opposition of Iranian women to the limitations and violence imposed by compulsory hijab. These oppositions have resulted in many cases of detention, torture, and long-term imprisonment for protesters of all ages in Iran. Does being a young protester against compulsory hijab have any impact on the way you are treated? What has been the experience of security forces in dealing with you and your daughter Yasmin, who come from two different generations with different ages?

Not from insults and humiliation or long-term imprisonment. As you are aware, both my daughter Yasmin and I were sentenced to the same imprisonment. We were both insulted. I was insulted by Judge Maghsseh because I was not fit to be a mother and it’s a shame that the title of mother has been given to me! Why? Because I couldn’t raise my daughter the way they wanted and their system wanted! I want to repeat exactly what Judge Maghsseh said. They accused me and made 16 false accusations and said: “You are very wicked and dirty, they call you a mother! Instead of stopping your daughter, you encourage her and stand by her. Or this insult, “What are you doing, look at her face.” And a bunch of other nonsense. But during the interrogation, they were very harsh on my daughter. After Yasmin was taken to the prison in the city of Rey (Garchak Varamin), she was

But the work did not end here. After 5 months, when we arrived in Qarchak, we were transferred to Evin prison with the order of the unknown.

I don’t remember the exact date, but I think it was 1 or 2 months after our presence in Evin and the sentence had been issued by the judge. We were going through our period of imprisonment when, unbelievably, for the second time, we were taken to Section 2A of Evin by the Sepah Yasmin for a week and were interrogated again about the same case! Of course, this was completely illegal and against prison regulations. With these explanations, it can be said that in some cases, especially when it comes to certain extremist sensitivities, the security treatment of a particular prisoner is different, regardless of their age.

One of the important issues for young women in Iran is what is the most important issue for women? What should policymakers, planners, executives, researchers, and women’s issues researchers prioritize and focus on in order to improve the situation for women?

In my belief, all issues related to women are important and a priority. Therefore, what is important and significant to me personally is meaningless. Because all of us women, whether young, middle-aged, or elderly, who are aware of our human and legal rights, have concerns that are important to us in our own ways. Undoubtedly, the first principle for us women is to preserve and respect our human dignity, and by respecting this principle, other rights will automatically be observed. Because the issue of dignity pertains to all humans, regardless of any gender-based perspectives.

With this mindset, a woman is not just a gender; she is a human being with all the rights that should be included. Such as the right to custody of children, the right to inheritance, the right to divorce, the freedom to choose clothing, the ability to hold high positions in the country, and even in the military, equal share in inheritance, equal testimony to men, and other similar matters that I cannot recall at the moment.

What is your opinion on the experience of women with mandatory hijab in the summer and its impact on the health of young women in Iranian society, specifically in terms of their sexual health and related issues? How do you evaluate the effects of imposed restrictions on young Iranian women?

100% of the type of clothing can have positive or negative effects on the physical and mental health of all members of society. It doesn’t matter if they are women or men, old or young. Imagine an Eskimo wearing clothing suitable for the polar regions in the equator or in Hawaii, or vice versa. It would undoubtedly be unbearable, uncomfortable, and even deadly. Therefore, the type of clothing should be appropriate for the time and place. In Iran, this is not taken into consideration at all. According to the Islamic government of Iran, all women must adhere to a specific dress code throughout the year. This includes covering their hair and all parts of their body from the neck down to the ankles, with a long tunic and loose pants.

Although nowadays this type of 90s clothing is not followed and women have tried for more than 30 years to make changes in their clothing style and appearance, but this change has not been able to solve many of the problems and negative effects that compulsory hijab has created in behavior and lifestyle, especially in young girls. We see many beautiful and young girls who have undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries or have tried various piercings on their lips, under their lips, beside their eyes, above their eyebrows, beside their nose, on their teeth, or have excessive tattoos and freckles, just to expose the parts that the government was not able to restrict. They have often been harmed by the hands of unscrupulous individuals and have suffered irreparable damage. You may say that the use of these beauty marks is used by young people all over the world, even where there is no compulsory hijab. I agree with this statement. But I want to point out that the use of these unhealthy

But in the field of physical health, we see that Iranian women use excessive amounts of cosmetics to show their beauty, which can cause damage to their eyes and facial skin due to their chemical and non-standard nature. Hair also falls out due to lack of exposure to air and sunlight. In addition, the use of various electrical and heat tools to enhance the appearance of the front or back of the hair, which is more visible, often results in a lack of freshness and softness. One very important point is the deficiency of vitamin D; I can confidently say that most Iranian women are naturally deprived of this vitamin due to lack of exposure to sunlight on their hair and body. With a simple Google search, we can find out about many diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency, which is now becoming increasingly prevalent among women. Diseases such as breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, MS, heart disease, stress, insomnia, and excessive obesity.

In light of the traditional culture of different parts of Iranian society, do you see the fight against compulsory hijab as a burden on the shoulders of the younger generation or do you think all citizens of different age groups can participate in this matter? How?

In my opinion, the fight against compulsory hijab includes all age groups and the burden of this obligation is not necessarily on the shoulders of young girls. We have seen very religious and traditional families where the mother is fully veiled, but her daughter(s) are not forced to choose the same type of clothing. Because they believe in freedom, choice, and autonomy. In videos against compulsory hijab, we have seen many elderly women struggling with canes and walkers, but still lifting their headscarves in support of opposing women and their voices were heard. There was a time when many people, including civil and political activists, would criticize us and the “No to Compulsory Hijab” campaign, saying, “Don’t you see the multitude of existing problems? Is our only problem this piece of cloth?!” And today, with repeated power outages, a woman from Gorgan raises her voice louder by taking off her headscarf and throwing it on the ground, saying, “

On the other hand, now either in a joking and humorous way or in reality, Mohammad Sharqi, the deputy coordinator of NAJA, says: Have we put giving flowers and gifts to unveiled women on our agenda?! These two cases show how sensitive people are about women’s hijab. One is the heart of the people and aware of the fact that hijab is a cover for injustice, forcefulness, totalitarianism, and bullying of the government, and the other is a failure of the oppressive power; he tries to internalize the issue of hijab for himself by giving flowers and gifts to unveiled women in order to achieve his goal.

You have experienced imprisonment in Garchak Varamin Prison, Evin Women’s Ward, and Karaj Kachoui Public Prison. Based on your personal experience, what image do you have in mind of living alongside female prisoners, specifically young female prisoners, and their difficulties, both in terms of hygiene and the treatment of prison officials in separating men and women?

When I entered Qarchak prison, I saw a different face of women.

A face that is mostly the result of oppression and injustice ruling over it.

I saw young and beautiful girls there who were forced to steal, sell their bodies, and engage in smuggling in order to provide for themselves and their families. These were women who chose to smoke their miseries away with a pipe, picnic lantern, hookah, and abundance of smoke and send it into the air. In terms of healthcare, my experience in three prisons – Qarchak, Evin, and Kachooi – was similar; there is no proper care given, perhaps in all three facilities that I experienced, only one member of the medical staff had a sense of humanity and compassion, but due to limitations in medication and medical facilities, they were unable to provide the necessary care and instead showed their love and sympathy to heal the soul of the sick prisoner.

Before Corona, trips were rarely taken. I remember a very young girl, only 19 years old, who fell from the airplane stairs and suffered a serious injury to her wrist. She went to the hospital, but the only treatment she received was a painkiller to ease her pain. However, her pain and swelling worsened by the minute and it became clear that her wrist was broken. She was supposed to be sent to the hospital, but despite our efforts, the trip did not happen and it took so long that her wrist became deformed.

I have witnessed numerous times the indifference of nurses in giving wrong pills to prisoners in the Qarchak and Kachoui prisons, which sometimes resulted in the poisoning of prisoners. Nutrition, especially in Qarchak, lacks sufficient vitamins and proteins, and most female prisoners suffer from deficiencies in vitamins such as B1, 2, and 3, which are found in various types of meat, chicken, fish, and vegetables, or vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits. Buying meat and seafood products for prisoners who have good or average financial conditions is more feasible in Evin, but relatively possible in Kachoui. However, we must keep in mind that most female prisoners do not have the financial means and are forced to eat low-quality prison food. Neglecting prisoners is one of the problems in both Qarchak and Kachoui prisons.

Most young or middle-aged women and girls are forced to work for employers in factories and production companies for very low and insignificant wages. I brought up this issue when the head of the prison organization came to visit the Kachooi prison and explained to them that being imprisoned for these women does not mean enduring hardship and suffering, and it is an injustice that the prison is doing to them. Some of these prisoners do not have any savings and are forced to send the little money they earn to their families outside of prison. Imagine working for a month and only earning 30,000 tomans! And that too with the consideration of inflation, it is truly shameful. Or for every 100 brushes, which each one must be stamped with 150 needles, only 25,000 tomans are paid. Meanwhile, a brush is sold in the market for 30 to 50 thousand tomans. The cheap labor of these prisoners is being exploited for small and menial tasks, and their fingers

Thank you for the time you have given to the peace process.