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Hijab in Iran
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Hijab in Iran
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the hijab became the mandatory dress code for all Iranian women by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of the new Islamic Republic.
Restrictions sparked several movements by activists and ordinary citizens who challenged the mandatory hijab, seeking more freedom and rights for women. Already the day after the introduction of mandatory hijab, the 1979 International Women's Day protests in Tehran erupted, delaying the introduction of the new laws. However, the government has throughout the decades cracked down on protests with violence, notably during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023). In September 2024, on the second anniversary of the death of Amini, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said that morality police will no longer "bother" women over the wearing of the hijab.
Historically, the hijab became widely adopted in Iran during the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) as Shia Islam was established as the official religion, and it remained a prevalent cultural practice through the Qajar era (1789–1925). The subsequent Pahlavi era (1925–1979) was marked by significant fluctuations in state policy. Reza Shah (1925–1941) enforced the forced unveiling of women (Kashf-e hijab) as a secularization measure to modernize the country. Mohammad Reza Shah (1941–1979), in contrast, adopted a more permissive approach toward women's dress, from Western styles, fostered among the urban elite, to hijabs.
Most Iranian women wear a shawl, a headscarf, a shayla, or a chador, but in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Sunni Muslims and Baloch people commonly wear black niqabs as a sign of familial piety and modesty, while the most popular type of head covering among residents of Qeshm Island is a burqah mask.
Muslims conquered Iran in the time of Umar (637 CE) and Iranians gradually converted to Islam and adopted Muslim customs such as hijab. Before the conquests, Iranians wore a variety of clothes and even wore veil similar to hijab. During the Middle Ages, Turkic nomadic tribes from Central Asia arrived, whose women did not wear headscarves.
As part of Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam (from 1501 to 1736) centralization in the 16th century, the headscarf became defined as the standard headdress for many religious women in urban areas all around the Safavid Empire. Exceptions to this were seen only in the villages and among nomadic tribes, such as Qashqai. Covering the whole face was rare among the Iranians and was mostly restricted to local Arabs and local Afghans.
However, hijab was not uniform and monolithic in Safavid Iran. Women from different ethnic and religious groups wore different styles and colors of veils and headscarves, reflecting their regional and cultural identities. Some women also wore hats, turbans, and bonnets, influenced by European fashion.
The Safavid court was also a place of diversity and splendor in terms of clothing. The royal women wore elaborate and luxurious garments, made of silk, velvet, brocade, and fur, embroidered with gold and silver, and adorned with jewels and pearls. They also wore different types of head coverings, such as mandils (turban material), qalānsūwas (conical caps), and tāj (crowns).
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Hijab in Iran
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the hijab became the mandatory dress code for all Iranian women by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of the new Islamic Republic.
Restrictions sparked several movements by activists and ordinary citizens who challenged the mandatory hijab, seeking more freedom and rights for women. Already the day after the introduction of mandatory hijab, the 1979 International Women's Day protests in Tehran erupted, delaying the introduction of the new laws. However, the government has throughout the decades cracked down on protests with violence, notably during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023). In September 2024, on the second anniversary of the death of Amini, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said that morality police will no longer "bother" women over the wearing of the hijab.
Historically, the hijab became widely adopted in Iran during the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) as Shia Islam was established as the official religion, and it remained a prevalent cultural practice through the Qajar era (1789–1925). The subsequent Pahlavi era (1925–1979) was marked by significant fluctuations in state policy. Reza Shah (1925–1941) enforced the forced unveiling of women (Kashf-e hijab) as a secularization measure to modernize the country. Mohammad Reza Shah (1941–1979), in contrast, adopted a more permissive approach toward women's dress, from Western styles, fostered among the urban elite, to hijabs.
Most Iranian women wear a shawl, a headscarf, a shayla, or a chador, but in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Sunni Muslims and Baloch people commonly wear black niqabs as a sign of familial piety and modesty, while the most popular type of head covering among residents of Qeshm Island is a burqah mask.
Muslims conquered Iran in the time of Umar (637 CE) and Iranians gradually converted to Islam and adopted Muslim customs such as hijab. Before the conquests, Iranians wore a variety of clothes and even wore veil similar to hijab. During the Middle Ages, Turkic nomadic tribes from Central Asia arrived, whose women did not wear headscarves.
As part of Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam (from 1501 to 1736) centralization in the 16th century, the headscarf became defined as the standard headdress for many religious women in urban areas all around the Safavid Empire. Exceptions to this were seen only in the villages and among nomadic tribes, such as Qashqai. Covering the whole face was rare among the Iranians and was mostly restricted to local Arabs and local Afghans.
However, hijab was not uniform and monolithic in Safavid Iran. Women from different ethnic and religious groups wore different styles and colors of veils and headscarves, reflecting their regional and cultural identities. Some women also wore hats, turbans, and bonnets, influenced by European fashion.
The Safavid court was also a place of diversity and splendor in terms of clothing. The royal women wore elaborate and luxurious garments, made of silk, velvet, brocade, and fur, embroidered with gold and silver, and adorned with jewels and pearls. They also wore different types of head coverings, such as mandils (turban material), qalānsūwas (conical caps), and tāj (crowns).