Fatemeh Rajai Rad, a maxillofacial surgeon who removed her mandatory hijab at an official ceremony, announced that she has been definitively expelled from Babol University of Medical Sciences. This doctor, residing in Amol, Mazandaran province, stated on Tuesday, December 12, that she began her activities with two charitable organizations 'right at the same time' she received the news of her expulsion. She added that she has officially started collaborating with the 'Arian Cancer Patients Support Association and the Amol Charity Association' and will support them 'with all her might' both financially and medically. Emphasizing that 'a raging river finds its path,' she stated that she will continue her work 'even if she has to pass through hard and impenetrable stones.' Earlier in November, after refusing to comply with the mandatory hijab and attending a Doctor's Day ceremony without a headscarf as a selected physician, her medical license was revoked by the Islamic Republic authorities shortly thereafter. Government officials did not stop at this action; they also dismissed three health and treatment managers and the nursing and midwifery school heads in Amol. These actions followed statements by Farhad Gholami, the president of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, who labeled Fatemeh Rajai Rad as 'a violator and lawbreaker' and mentioned that the suspension of her medical license is on the agenda of the medical system. Following the killing of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, civil disobedience against the mandatory hijab intensified alongside nationwide protests targeting the entire Islamic Republic regime. In response, the authorities reinstated the morality police and introduced other measures, including deploying 'hijab monitors' at metro stations, seizing vehicles, imposing financial fines on citizens, and closing service and commercial establishments to enforce mandatory hijab. Amid increasing pressures and confrontations between hijab monitors and citizens, Armita Garavand, a teenage student who was pushed by a 'hijab monitor' at a metro station in Tehran while not wearing a mandatory hijab, fell into a coma for several days and ultimately passed away. In this context, Leili Pourzand, a human rights activist, previously described the hijab as the 'Achilles' heel of the Islamic Republic,' stating that 'the government will not back down from it.'
Opposition to Mandatory Hijab Doctor Reports 'Final Expulsion' from Babol University of Medical Sciences
Dr. Fatemeh Rajai Rad, a surgeon who opposed the mandatory hijab, has been expelled from Babol University of Medical Sciences after her medical license was revoked for attending a ceremony without a headscarf. She has since begun working with charitable organizations to support cancer patients. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions in Iran regarding women's rights and government enforcement of hijab laws.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Dr. Fatemeh Rajai Rad was expelled from Babol University of Medical Sciences after removing her hijab at an official ceremony. Her medical license was revoked, and she has since started working with charitable organizations.
- Dr. Rad's expulsion followed her public defiance of the mandatory hijab law.
- She has begun collaborating with charitable organizations to support cancer patients.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, Iran has seen increased protests against mandatory hijab laws, with the government responding with strict enforcement measures.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%