Farhikhtegan Newspaper Confirms 'Low Attendance' at Mandatory Hijab Supporters' Gathering

The Farhikhtegan newspaper, in a critical report, confirmed that the recent gathering of a number of supporters of mandatory hijab at Azadi Stadium in Tehran was, contrary to claims, 'low in number.' This gathering took place on Thursday, July 25, and the Tasnim news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, referred to it as a 'hundred thousand-strong gathering of hijab defenders.' The acknowledgment by Farhikhtegan, which is itself a government-affiliated media outlet, of the low turnout occurs as images from the event revealed that large sections of Azadi Stadium were empty. The published images not only showed a significant portion of the first tier of Azadi Stadium empty 'due to repairs' but also made it clear that the crowd present in the second tier was small. Farhikhtegan emphasized that 'the emptiness of parts of the stadium could not be hidden from the cameras.' Meanwhile, Tasnim's report on the gathering used the phrase 'a torrent of people entering Azadi Stadium.' The newspaper criticized the conditions under which the gathering was held, stating: 'It seems that neglecting the necessary factors and components for holding a gathering led to the event at Azadi Stadium not receiving a positive response even within the ideological base, resulting in criticisms directed at the organizers of this event. For this reason, a significant number of people did not attend the stadium.' According to this government-affiliated newspaper, the function of this event could turn 'against itself' and emphasize 'the minority representation of the ideological base of society.' This gathering took place while the controversial plan known as 'Noor,' which imposes mandatory hijab on citizens in most cases with violence, began in April of this year. Since the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini in the custody of the morality police in September 2022, public opposition to mandatory hijab in Iran has taken on unprecedented dimensions, and despite the unprecedented violent pressures and crackdowns by the government, civil resistance among a wide range of Iranian women continues. The severe government crackdown and the risk of protests becoming 'underground' are evident in the accounts of doctors and eyewitnesses regarding the injured from the protests. Reports indicate that in Mashhad, 400 people were killed; a journalist from Hamihan stated that Tehran smells of death. Eyewitness accounts from several cities in Isfahan province describe the situation as 'like war-torn areas.' The last representative of Mossad in Tehran passed away amid the crisis in Iran. Trump announced an agreement to hold a meeting about Greenland in Davos. Weather conditions halted the search for an Iranian climber on Makalu peak.