Iran: Teen water fight leads to lopsided hijabs, arrests

Head of morality police says authorities "will not allow such events to happen in public places, or anywhere throughout the country."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
hijab cairo women arab 311 (photo credit: Ruth Eglash)
hijab cairo women arab 311
(photo credit: Ruth Eglash)
Seventeen boys and girls were arrested on Sunday in Bandar Abbas, Iran according to AFP, for staging a water fight in a city park. Police released five of the them on the spot, while the remaining 12 were eventually discharged on bail.
According to AFP, Homozgan province's justice chief Ali Alia was quoted by the ISNA news agency explaining that the youth faced charges for committing an act forbidden by Islam and insulting police officers.
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The incident came a week after a much larger water fight was organized in the Ab-o-Atash park in Tehran which several hundred teenagers attended. Pictures of the event, which had been organized via Facebook, circulated on the internet and ten participants were arrested. The pictures revealed boys and girls drenched in water together, and girls with lopsided hijabs. Women in Iran are required to wear the head covering by law. 
The water fights have been criticized by Iranian conservatives and officials as inappropriate. AFP quoted the head of the morality police, General Ahmad Rouzbahani, declaring in a television appearance that police will "act forcefully against this type of action and will not allow such events to happen in public places, or anywhere throughout the country."