Footage has emerged of women standing up to police and strangers in Iran after defying laws by walking the streets without hijabs.
Women filmed themselves without veils to capture some of the abuse they face for failing to adhere to Iran’s strict religious rules.
At one point a female campaigner shouts ‘spit out your insults’ after being told to cover her head while a second film shows a man threatening to slap a young woman for breaking the law.
Another video shows a father standing up for her daughter after a passer-by ordered her to ‘observe hijab’. The father stands his ground and tells the man ‘I don’t believe that nonsense’.
Footage has emerged of women standing up to police and strangers in Iran after defying laws by walking the streets without hijabs
Women filmed themselves without veils to capture some of the abuse they face for failing to adhere to Iran’s strict religious rules
The veil has been a mandatory dress requirement for women in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
But a movement called White Wednesdays sees women flouting the regulations by capturing footage and pictures of themselves without their hijabs and posting it online. Some of the clips have appeared on the Twitter account My Stealthy Freedom.
One clip says: ‘I have no fear of you, my camera is my weapon here! This brave woman [is] unveiling herself to protest compulsory hijab while walking her dog.
‘Watch how she got attacked by people about hijab and walking a dog. She is strong and filmed it all for #WhiteWednesdays.’
Another video shows a man storming over to a woman and saying: ‘I’m going to slap you if you don’t wear your hijab.’
When the woman asks what he is going to do, he simply replies: ‘Put on your head dress.’
One shocking film shows a man (left) threatening to slap a young woman for breaking the law
Another video shows a father standing up for her daughter after a passer-by ordered her to ‘observe hijab’. The father stands his ground and tells the man ‘I don’t believe in that nonsense’
A passer-by then walks over and tells the man: ‘You can warn her calmly right? You can’t slap a woman.’
One touching video shows a father driving with his young daughter in the passenger seat and talking about her future.
He tells the camera: ‘My inspiration for joining the campaign and to oppose compulsory hijab even before that, has been the future of my daughter.
‘I want her to be able to freely make her decisions under the best of conditions. Long live White Wednesdays.’
In one video, a defiant campaigner insists women are ‘not puppets’.
She says: ‘Keep the desire for dignity, freedom, love and hope for all Iranian women. Iranian women deserve the best! Iranian women are not your puppets to do whatever you wish with them; to forcefully bully them, kick them out of stadiums, or forcibly make them wear hijab.
One touching video shows a father driving with his young daughter in the passenger seat and talking about her future
‘Iranian woman is a beautiful independent creature full of love and hope. you cannot under any circumstances, suppress them.’
Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has required women to wear the Islamic headscarf in public.
The Islamic code also forbids women touching, dancing or singing with men outside their families.
Women are only allowed to show their face, hands and feet in public and are supposed to wear only modest colours.
Over the years, however, women have pushed back the boundaries of the law, with many wearing loose, brightly coloured headscarves far back on their heads.