Exclusive: Eyewitness Accounts of Women's Resistance Against Mandatory Hijab: We Will Not Wear Scarves

While more than two weeks have passed since the death of Armita Garavand following an encounter with a 'hijab enforcer' in the metro, news sources tell Voice of America that government pressure on women in Iran to comply with mandatory hijab has intensified. An eyewitness in Tehran said on Thursday, November 16, that 'motorcyclists from the police are lurking in traffic, checking the license plates of women's cars, and if they are flagged, they follow them.' She also emphasized that 'at some bus stations, officers have been placed to prevent women without hijabs from boarding.' According to this informed source, 'next to the officers and hijab enforcers in the metro, there are individuals taking photos and videos of women, and if a woman tries to board without paying attention to them, it leads to violence.' Additionally, a woman in Tehran told Voice of America that to avoid encounters with government forces, 'I avoid certain routes' and has often 'had to take longer paths to avoid passing through the city center' to 'not get caught by the hijab patrols.' An eyewitness in Isfahan reported a similar situation in this major city in central Iran. The eyewitness also told Voice of America that the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic even 'stop cars on the roads' and that one of her friends' car was 'stopped on the northern road, forcing her to return to Tehran by taxi.' She emphasized the 'intensification of harassment and arrests,' stating that 'the building guard called me today and said not to come home, a car full of plainclothes officers is stationed there,' and 'I had to send my sister first to check if it was safe to go home.' According to this eyewitness, those who were detained were 'constantly warned not to inform anyone.' She also noted that 'there are still many women without hijabs,' but 'most of them have scarves around their necks to wear if they face danger,' and 'many cafes have been closed or their hours of operation restricted.' This source stated that in some cafes, 'they do not allow women without hijabs to enter or say, wear a scarf and pass in front of the camera, then take it off inside,' as 'they say the pressure to shut them down has increased,' but 'women also say, we won't go to cafes and we won't wear scarves.' This eyewitness also mentioned that the officials of the Islamic Republic seem to feel a sense of victory, believing they have 'controlled the situation surrounding Armita's death,' and as a result, they have intensified pressure on women, political and civil activists, as well as journalists. She emphasized that following the support and 'global solidarity' against the Islamic Republic during last year's protests, this pressure had decreased, but now it has increased. Furthermore, citizen reports on social media have confirmed the eyewitness accounts to Voice of America regarding the intensified confrontations by government repressive forces to enforce mandatory hijab on women. A user on the social media platform X wrote: 'It hasn't even been a month since a child was killed in the metro. They have come forward and are continuing more fiercely than ever. They are beating and humiliating teenage girls from the metro stations of City Theater and Revolution, and even the news is not broadcasted.' She described this trend as 'a daily war' and emphasized: 'Many women’s usual route is through those metros, and they have to spend every day with tension, stress, and humiliation.' According to this citizen, the version that government forces implemented in recent days at City Theater is 'now being expanded station by station.' Additionally, Hamid Political-Rad, a journalist, in a narrative he called 'a tale of repeated brutality,' stated that his friend was 'arrested near Vali Asr Square' and was taken to a van with 'beatings,' and 'even a female officer who was with them and wanted to help was pushed and thrown.' According to this narrative, the treatment of those arrested for violating the mandatory hijab at the police station varied, with a 'police officer' saying, 'These are from the Revolutionary Guard, and we dislike them too,' and recommended to 'call 197' and urged the arrested person to 'file a complaint,' while '197 said the hijab enforcers' misconduct is not our concern.' Political-Rad wrote in this different narrative that 'throughout the time, no one asked my friend to wear a hijab,' and 'even the female officer who was with him' did not tell him to 'put on a hijab. In fact, the female officer explained that there are operations around Vali Asr Square these days. Be careful as you come this way, throw something on your head.' In recent days, various narratives have emerged on social media regarding the intensified confrontations by government forces against women who refuse to comply with mandatory hijab.