Continued Restrictions on Opponents of Mandatory Hijab; Kayhan's Attack and Ban on Participation in Cinematic Works

The involvement of some female actors in opposing mandatory hijab and the reactions from security and judicial institutions continue to be accompanied by controversies. A renewed attack by the Kayhan newspaper and the publication of a letter banning 'invitation to collaborate' for participation in cinematic works is among the latest developments. Yesterday, news emerged in Iranian media indicating that the Cinema Organization had issued a ban on hiring actors who have 'removed their hijab' to producers. According to this report, Habib Ilbeigi, the Deputy for Evaluation and Supervision of the Cinema Organization, wrote in a letter to Gholamreza Mousavi, the head of the Cinema Producers Union: 'Producers must avoid employing problematic individuals and actors (for example, those who have removed their hijab, etc.).' In this letter, the Cinema Organization threatened that in case of any collaboration, if they encounter issues when obtaining a screening license, they would be personally responsible and must answer for their actions and its consequences. The Kayhan newspaper also claimed that 'the project promoting the removal of hijab is inherently a project of the Zionist-English Baha'i party,' in which some actors, according to Kayhan, play 'minor roles.' This newspaper, which is funded by public money and operates under the supervision of Ali Khamenei's representative, attacked the Sazandegi newspaper affiliated with the 'Executives of Construction Party,' stating that 'if mandatory covering is not to be enforced, it certainly does not limit itself to the hijab, and others can also claim to expose other parts of their bodies.' The ban on collaboration with female filmmakers who have chosen optional hijab was raised after Hengameh Ghaziani announced that she would no longer participate in any films and bid farewell to the world of acting in the Islamic Republic. Kayhan's reaction to Hengameh Ghaziani's farewell was also noteworthy. Kayhan wrote: 'Some actors have announced their retirement from acting for self-promotion. Meanwhile, no producer or director is interested in collaborating with these expired individuals.' Opposition and resistance to mandatory hijab have become one of the tools for women’s struggle against the Islamic Republic, emphasizing the right to choose clothing among women, which has been met with various reactions, and prominent actors have not been spared from these reactions. In this context, last week, the 'Mizan' news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, also announced that arrest warrants had been issued for Azadeh Samadi and Leila Bolukat, actors in cinema and television, due to 'removing their hijab.' This news agency wrote on June 12 that Azadeh Samadi was summoned after 'removing her hijab at the funeral of one of the artists,' and the investigator of the Culture and Media Court issued an arrest warrant with the charge of 'disturbing public morality and decency through the removal of hijab' after receiving her and her lawyer's defenses. A similar process was followed for Leila Bolukat due to 'posting images on her personal social media page.' During last year's nationwide protests, several artists and actors in cinema and television published images of themselves without mandatory hijab in solidarity with the protests. Their actions received positive reactions from opponents of mandatory hijab but angered the security and judicial institutions of the Islamic Republic. Following these reactions, several of these artists, including Taraneh Alidoosti, Afsaneh Bayegan, Katayoun Riahi, Hengameh Ghaziani, and others were temporarily detained or summoned and interrogated by security institutions. Despite all these pressures, some of these individuals occasionally make headlines by appearing in public without hijab, emphasizing their opposition to mandatory hijab. A panel on censorship and the challenges of independent cinema in Iran was held with Iranian filmmakers at the Cannes Festival. Another presenter and announcer from state television, Zhila Amirshahi, migrated to Canada without mandatory hijab. A legal official stated that the cases of actors opposing mandatory hijab have 'exited the security phase.' Arrest warrants were issued for Azadeh Samadi and Leila Bolukat due to their opposition to mandatory hijab. Government media attacks on actors opposing mandatory hijab have introduced new accusations: 'hypocrite,' 'promoter of corruption,' 'unforgivable.' Legal cases have been formed against Baran Kowsari and Shaghayegh Dehghan due to their opposition to mandatory hijab. After Katayoun Riahi, Pantea Bahram is also going to the prosecutor's office. Several artists opposing mandatory hijab have been summoned, and the Tehran prosecutor threatened them with detention. Producer Kaveh Farnam stated: 'The courage of artists who do not accept mandatory covering is commendable.' Two cinema actors were accused of 'disturbing public minds' due to 'removing their hijab.' Support for artists continues regarding the nationwide protests in Iran; Afsaneh Bayegan also removed her mandatory hijab.