Diplomatic Hijab: Dilemma or Protocol?

36 years after the Islamic Revolution, the issue of hijab remains a vital and significant matter in Iran. On one hand, ordinary women in the streets still do not accept the governmental meaning of hijab and do not conform to the official dress code announced by the government. On the other hand, various platforms, from Friday prayers to governmental and religious officials, are dominated by those who link women's hijab to the Islamic nature of the Islamic Republic. In one of the latest reactions, Mohammadi Kermani, during the last Friday prayer of Farvardin in Tehran, referred to women as models of modesty and stated: "Believe me, it is possible to ensure that our women show the necessary modesty in society. I say that bad hijab is not just an ordinary sin, but it is related to the security of the country; that bad-hijab woman may not even realize it, but practically defying the Islamic Republic is a sin. If we remain indifferent, this indifference will gradually expand." These remarks by Mohammadi Kermani came just days after Hassan Rouhani emphasized during a ceremony commemorating the wife of Ayatollah Khomeini that, from an Islamic perspective, there is no first and second gender. He said: "Unfortunately, in today's society, the prohibition of vice has only been brought to some streets and only against women. Who is our greatest vice today? Today, our greatest vice is unemployment in society. Today, our greatest virtue is the development of the country. Today, our greatest vice is water scarcity and drought." Hassan Rouhani also stated that the government sees it as its duty to ensure equal participation and access for women to social facilities. According to him, the government is working to ensure that 50% of the isolated and unemployed community does not remain as a second gender. Diplomatic hijab: dilemma or protocol? Despite all this, it seems that Iranian religious and governmental officials are paying more attention than ever to the issue of women's hijab. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for this is the growth and social presence of women not only in Iran but worldwide. With the increasing presence of women in political activities, new issues have inevitably arisen in Iran. According to a protocol previously signed between Iran and other countries, all female diplomats from other countries are required to enter Iran wearing a hijab and appropriate covering. However, these days, the story of Julie Bishop, the Australian Foreign Minister's visit to Iran, tells a different tale. Masih Alinejad, a freelance journalist based in New York and the manager of the Facebook page 'My Stealthy Freedom', comments on the sidelines of this trip: "The emergence of phenomena like Facebook and Twitter and social networks has empowered ordinary citizens to act as observers. This was a responsibility that we journalists previously bore alone." Alinejad states that she learned about the Australian Foreign Minister's visit to Iran after 12 years through a message from an ordinary citizen living in Australia on the 'My Stealthy Freedom' Facebook page. Alinejad says: "Upon learning from this citizen, I wrote a letter and published it on the My Stealthy Freedom page, sending the text of that letter along with many comments from Iranian and non-Iranian citizens under the post about Ms. Bishop's visit to two Australian media outlets. One of them called and interviewed me, asking the Australian Foreign Minister to join Iranian women in protesting against compulsory hijab." However, after her visit to Iran, Ms. Bishop stated in an interview with an Australian publication regarding the hijab issue that she does not view hijab as a compulsory matter and that she uses both hats and scarves in her daily attire. Masih Alinejad notes that the publication of the Australian Foreign Minister's remarks has received mixed reactions: "When the Australian Foreign Minister's comments were shared on social media, we saw reactions from Australian citizens. Many of these citizens wrote on the My Stealthy Freedom page that this is simply a lie. Others wrote that this is a political bargaining because Ms. Bishop intends to persuade the Iranian government to return refugees whose cases have not been approved in Australia, thus she is willing to give concessions to Iran in this regard." According to the manager of the My Stealthy Freedom page, this statement is not only diplomatic but also conservative. Alinejad states: "Who does not know that in Iran, not only is hijab compulsory, but it also imposes the highest costs on a female citizen in Iran? In Iran, if you are a girl, from the age of seven, you do not have the right to choose your own clothing, and this has always resulted in women being treated as second-class citizens in society, unable to appear in public spaces as they wish." The issue of women's hijab in domestic media As Alinejad mentions, the topic of the Australian Foreign Minister's visit and the requests from Australian media for her to stand with Iranian women have led to the issue of the compulsory hijab for Iranian women being raised in domestic media as well. She states: "The IRNA news agency, the Tabnak website, and many websites inside Iran translated the news from Australian newspapers, which is considered a victory for women whose voices have not been heard in Iranian media for all these years." However, the request for female diplomatic guests to protest against compulsory hijab has its opponents. Some critics of this request have written that these movements do not benefit Iranian women and may even disrupt negotiations that could be advantageous for Iran. In response, Alinejad says: "We cannot be inactive and say that any kind of protest and civil movement is futile. Now, raising the issue of hijab in public spheres in Iranian and non-Iranian networks at least creates global awareness that Iranian society is not silent; it is just not heard, it is denied. This awareness, in my opinion, is a significant step and leads to greater empathy and criticism among Iranian and non-Iranian citizens for the pursuit of civil rights demands.