Two women have been arrested in Iran after a video of them being attacked with yoghurt for not covering their hair in public went viral. According to the Iranian judiciary, the two women were detained for not wearing the hijab (headscarf), which is illegal in the country. The man who threw the yoghurt was also arrested for disturbing the public order.
The incident follows months of protests in Iran demanding an end to the compulsory wearing of the hijab. In September, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”. This sparked a wave of protests across the Islamic Republic, with thousands arrested and four protesters executed since December.
Despite this, the authorities show no sign of relenting. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has reiterated that Iranian women should wear the hijab as a “religious necessity”. Hardline MP Hossein Ali Haji Deligani has even issued an ultimatum to the judiciary to come up with measures to put a stop to the flouting of the rules within 48 hours.
The video of the yoghurt attack has caused outrage in Iran, with many people condemning it as an act of violence against women. It has also highlighted the ongoing struggle between those who want to see an end to compulsory hijab and those who are determined to enforce it. Whatever happens next, it is clear that this issue will continue to be a major source of tension in Iran for some time to come.