Hijab

What is Basij? The Islamic Republic's 'iron fist' to suppress protesters - explainer

Basij, a key paramilitary militia under the IRGC, has a violent history of suppressing protests, enforcing morality laws, and committing human rights abuses, including torture and sexual abuse.

A Basij militia member patrols in Tehran following a US strike, March 5, 2026; illustrative.
IRANIANS GATHER while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8, 2026.

'Mercenaries for foreigners': Khamenei accuses Iranian protesters of acting on behalf of Trump

High school students studying classes at school

Austrian lower house passes headscarf ban for under-14s in schools

 February 1 marks World Hijab Day. (Illustrative).

Austrian government presses ahead with planned headscarf ban in schools


Iran's hijab crackdown 'sign of regime's weakness,' party representative tells TML

Passed last month after a lengthy delay following the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests, a new law in Iran increases punishments for women who don’t wear the hijab.

 February 1 marks World Hijab Day. (Illustrative).

Sexual assault and brutal beatings: Iran renews violent hijab crackdown

Videos from Iran showed women struggling as "Morality Police" officers tried to shove them into vans in widespread arrests.

 Iranian women walk on a street during the revival of morality police in Tehran, Iran, July 16, 2023

New York City to pay $17.5 million for forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots

The preliminary class action settlement covers men and women required to remove religious attire before being photographed.

 February 1 marks World Hijab Day. (Illustrative).

French principal receives death threats for telling student to remove hijab

Meanwhile, several schools in Paris closed their gates Wednesday after receiving bomb threats allegedly from Islamists.

 A woman wearing a hijab walks at Trocadero square near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, May 2, 2021.

Majority of Iranians want secular government, leaked study shows

Numbers show that 73% of Iranians want a separation between state and religion. 

 February 1 marks World Hijab Day. (Illustrative).

Iranian women are 'not afraid' to shed hijab on streets of Tehran report shows

The punishment for not wearing a hijab is largely financial, although there are new systems to report women not complying with hijab rules to the morality police.

 An Iranian woman walks on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023

World Hijab Day: Unwrapping the debate over head covering

While some countries enforce the mandatory wearing of traditional headwear, several European countries have banned it or are considering banning it in certain public areas.

 February 1 marks World Hijab Day. (Illustrative).

Iranian journalists released face new legal case for flouting hijab

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammad were released on Sunday temporarily after paying bail.

 An Iranian woman walks on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023

Kurdish-Iranian woman whipped 74 times for not wearing hijab

As she was flogged, Roya Heshmati chanted "in the name of woman, in the name of life, the clothes of slavery are torn..."

 Iranian women walk on a street during the revival of morality police in Tehran, Iran, July 16, 2023

Hijab enforcers search bags and phones in Tehran metro - report

In recent months, plainclothes agents have been seen in metro stations in Tehran, enforcing hijab laws.

 Iranian women walk on a street during the revival of morality police in Tehran, Iran, July 16, 2023