A Campaign to Challenge National ID Cards

One of the latest campaigns by Iranians on social media is to challenge the identity and authenticity of the photos on national ID cards. The campaign, called the National ID Challenge, invites people to share their national ID photos alongside a picture that they believe better represents their identity. In most countries around the world, there is an official document for identifying each individual. In Iran, since Reza Shah made having a surname mandatory, various forms of identification have been issued, and having them has become obligatory for Iranians. The national ID card, which began to be issued and used in the early 2000s and became mandatory, is considered the latest of these identity documents, although the head of the Civil Registration Organization has announced that these cards will become 'smart' in the next five years. However, what has caused some to protest about this identification card? Although the official Civil Registration website only mentions the size of the photo and the need for the photo's age to match the applicant's current age, the official website of Iran's police states that photos must have a light background, and for men, hats and glasses are not allowed, nor are ties, jewelry, or hair and beard styling that obscures the forehead and ears. Additionally, the color of clothing should not match the background. Women's photos must be fully veiled, without makeup or jewelry, using a simple dark scarf or chador, so that the roundness of the face is visible (for girls over 5 years old, full hijab is required). Protesters believe that photos with these specifications do not represent their identity but rather an identity that the government intends to define. The new challenge invites people to share their national ID photos alongside a picture that they feel is closer to their identity. This campaign is identified on Twitter with the hashtag #kartmelichallenge, and several Instagram pages and Telegram channels have been created to showcase the photos. The 'Secret Freedoms' campaign is another campaign formed to protest against the mandatory hijab for women in Iran.