Iranian officials install cameras to identify women not wearing head coverings

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Saleswomen wearing hijabs speak with each other while standing at an Iranian traditional local bazaar in the village of Malat near the city of Langarud in Gilan province. Associated Press/Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl, NurPhoto via AP

Iranian officials install cameras to identify women not wearing head coverings

The Iranian police on Saturday said they are installing cameras in public places to identify and penalize women who are not wearing traditional head coverings, or hijabs. Women and girls older than 9 years old must wear headscarves or be arrested. Iranian authorities said women who violate the law will receive a warning first, but future infractions could lead to punishment. Many women across the country stopped wearing a hijab in protest after a 22-year-old Kurdish woman died in September 2022 while in the custody of the morality police. She was reportedly arrested for wearing her hijab improperly.

What is the history of Iran’s hijab law? The hijab law was first introduced after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 overthrew the Iranian monarchy. Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in March 1979 called for women to wear hijabs in the workplace. Thousands of women protested the new rule, but wearing a hijab in public became obligatory for all Iranian women in April 1983.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about how Muslims are becoming more interested in Christianity.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.