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Iran Shuts Three Cafes In Qom Over Unveiled Women


Women in Iran must wear a hijab that covers the head and neck while concealing their hair.
Women in Iran must wear a hijab that covers the head and neck while concealing their hair.

Authorities in Iran have closed three coffee shops in the central city of Qom because female customers were not wearing their head scarves, local media report.

"Three coffee shops were closed in Qom due to numerous violations, including women's lack of veils and other issues," said a July 4 statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps published in the newspaper Hamshari.

"The owners of the cafes were summoned by police before legal action was taken," the statement added.

The holy Shi'ite city of Qom is home to dozens of religious seminaries and senior clerics.

Under Islamic law enforced in Iran since the 1979 revolution, women must wear a hijab that covers the head and neck while concealing their hair.

Many have pushed the boundaries over the years by allowing their head coverings to slide back and reveal more hair, especially in Tehran and other major cities.

Recently, the government has reportedly renewed its crackdown on women who are deemed insufficiently veiled.

Based on reporting by AFP and Hamshahri

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