A young woman in Iran was recently arrested by authorities for riding her bicycle without wearing the hijab as Iranian law mandates woman must cover their head and neck, concealing their hair.
Notably, the arrest came after a video of the bare-headed woman cycling in front of a mosque, went viral on social media platforms in the country. In the video, the unidentified woman, who has shoulder-length brown hair, can be seen raising her right arm in the air as she rides past a mosque.
Iranian journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, lamented and said how riding a bicycle or being unveiled make women criminals in the eyes of “Ayatollahs” and remarked how many other women are languishing in jails because of protesting the forced hijab tradition.
Yesterday she enjoyed the wind in her hair on her bicycle and today she got arrested by the authorities in Iran.
Why? Because she is a woman and in my beautiful country Iran riding a bicycle or being unveiled make us criminals in the eyes of “Ayatollahs”.
ISIS is still in power😞 pic.twitter.com/ccp95oAzTO— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) October 20, 2020
Initially I blurred her face but now she’ is in jail, the world must come to her aid. last comment from the cameraman is telling: “Is the Shah back? Has freedom returned?”
Right now many women are in prison because of protesting #ForcedHijab.
This is beyond sad in 21st Century. pic.twitter.com/LmFdulbrS6— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) October 21, 2020
“A person who had recently violated norms and insulted the Islamic veil in this region has been arrested,” Mojataba Raei, governor of Najafabad, told IRNA news agency.
He also said that the motive of the action is being investigated. Meanwhile, there also have been protest rallies after the ‘unprecedented violation of norms.’
“Her motive for committing this action is being investigated. The residents of this city are holding a protest rally today (after) the unprecedented violation of norms,” he added.
Under Islamic law in force in Iran since its 1979 revolution, women must wear a hijab that covers the head and neck and that conceals their hair.