Iranian student strips down to underwear in anti-Hijab protest

TEHRAN,— A young woman reportedly removed her clothing down to her underwear at an Iranian university on Saturday, challenging the country’s strict Islamic dress code.

The incident took place at a branch of the Islamic Azad University in Tehran, with video footage circulating online showing university security detaining the woman. Although her identity remains unknown, the footage has sparked widespread attention on social media.

University spokesperson Amir Mahjob addressed the incident on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter. He stated that authorities concluded at the police station that the woman was experiencing “severe mental pressure” and attributed her behavior to a “mental disorder.”

However, several social media users questioned this account, suggesting her actions were intentional and represented a form of protest against Iran’s compulsory hijab regulations.

One social media user, Lei La, remarked on X, “For most women, being seen in their underwear in public would be a nightmare.

This looks like a response to the government’s unyielding enforcement of the mandatory hijab.” Many others shared similar sentiments, interpreting the woman’s actions as a stand against restrictive policies imposed on women.

While the woman’s current situation remains unclear, Hamshahri, a prominent Iranian daily, reported that an informed source indicated she would likely be sent to a mental health facility after further examination.

The source described her as struggling with “severe mental problems,” adding that investigations into the incident were ongoing.

This act comes amid a growing wave of resistance among Iranian women, who have been increasingly defying hijab laws since widespread protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young Kurdish woman from Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat) detained by Iran’s morality police in September 2022.

Amini’s death, allegedly for not adhering to the hijab dress code, ignited nationwide protests demanding greater freedoms for women. The Iranian government responded with a forceful crackdown, yet signs of defiance persist as more women choose to forgo the veil in public—a quiet but powerful rejection of the mandated dress code.

France is keeping a close watch on the case of a young student who was arrested in Tehran on Saturday for not following Iran’s strict dress code, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.

Barrot praised the student’s bravery, saying she has become a symbol of women’s rights in Iran. “Our embassy in Iran is following her case very closely and updates us every hour,” he added.

The student protested by stripping down to her underwear after security guards reportedly harassed her, tearing her headscarf and clothes.

Videos shared online show her sitting outside the university in just her underwear before confidently walking down the street, surprising people nearby. Another video shows plainclothes men forcing her into a car and taking her to an unknown location.

Amnesty International’s Iran branch has demanded her immediate release.

A conservative Iranian news agency, Fars, confirmed the incident and published a blurred photo of the student. The report stated she had worn “inappropriate clothing” in class and “undressed” after security guards calmly warned her to follow the dress code. The agency denied any aggressive behavior by the guards.

Iran’s Science Minister, Hossein Simaei, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, condemned a female student’s public act of undressing down to her underwear, calling it “immoral and uncustomary.” Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, Simaei stated that her actions violated societal norms and were inconsistent with Sharia law. However, he clarified that the student had not been expelled from her university.

Simaei further criticized those who shared footage of the incident, accusing them of promoting “prostitution.” He emphasized that such behavior should not be encouraged, as it lacks both moral and religious justification.

A blurred version of the video was circulated by Iranian media outlets.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women in Iran have been required to cover their neck and head and dress modestly.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani rejected claims that the incident stemmed from a hijab warning, and denied that the student had been violently arrested.

She stated, “The issue was something else,” stressing that such levels of nudity are unacceptable anywhere. “The girl was not treated harshly in any way,” she added.

In a statement released Saturday, the university clarified that the student had been “handed over to the police” and was found to be “under severe pressure and suffering from a mental disorder.”

(With files from Reuters | AFP | Agencies)