This photo is making the rounds among Iranians. These schoolgirls -- with bare heads, not wearing the compulsory hijab -- are standing under a banner that says "Sister, the hijab means protection, not limitation."
The picture is just another example of young Iranians' frustration with the restrictions that the state imposes on them.
The Islamic hijab became compulsory in Iran after the 1979 revolution, but there has always been resistance, particularly from young people. Despite numerous crackdowns and information campaigns (such as the slogan in the picture, which the girls clearly aren't buying), young Iranians still want the freedom to define their own identities, and to choose what they wear.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
The picture is just another example of young Iranians' frustration with the restrictions that the state imposes on them.
The Islamic hijab became compulsory in Iran after the 1979 revolution, but there has always been resistance, particularly from young people. Despite numerous crackdowns and information campaigns (such as the slogan in the picture, which the girls clearly aren't buying), young Iranians still want the freedom to define their own identities, and to choose what they wear.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari