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IRAN HAS IMPOUNDED tens of thousands of cars since March because women inside the vehicles had not properly covered their hair with a headscarf, Tehran’s traffic police have said.
“Over the past eight months, more than 40,000 cases of bad hijab (headscarf) have been dealt with,” said Brigadier General Teymour Hosseini, quoted by ISNA news agency.
“In most cases, the cars were impounded and cases were referred to the judiciary,” he said, while some of the women stopped could face cash fines or warnings.
Police warned in November that women who fail to observe hijab, the mandatory Islamic dress code in Iran, while driving would have their cars impounded for a week.
The measure is part of a wider traffic police crackdown that could also see male drivers targeted.
When in public, all women in the Islamic republic, including foreigners, are required to wear at least a loose scarf covering the hair and neck.
Since the mid-1990s, however, there has been an easing in the dress code.
Many women wear stylish and colourful coats and headscarves and often tight trousers instead of the traditional one-piece, head-to-toe black “chador”.
Police patrols have kept up campaigns to enforce the law and authorities also use a network of “trustees” who inform on violations.
Other violations while driving — not limited to women — include carrying dogs, playing loud music, tinted glass on windows and “harassing girls on the streets”, Hosseini said.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused fast-driving wealthy youngsters in April of creating “psychological insecurity” on the streets after two high-speed accidents killed five people.
“I hear that young people from the generation of wealth, a generation intoxicated by their money, are driving luxury cars and parading in the streets, making the streets insecure,” he said, quoted on his website.
In September, a Tehran court fined two women $260 for violating the dress code by not wearing their hijabs properly on the street.
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Anti Muslim propaganda setting the races against each other naughty naughty Iran, when in Saudi Arabia an ally of the west does far worse and none of it hits the headlines because it’s supplying black gold to the west.
You’re accusing the Journal, a site which can’t stop preaching about Halawa and how we need to save all economic migrants, of anti-Muslim propaganda?
All organised mainstream religions contain ethos that determine women to be inferior to men. Whats new journal ?
And women on this site will defend that ethos while branding you a “racist”.
I’ve said this before dave but in my opinion, if you can’t be indoctrinated into it. if you can’t convert into it, and if you can’t leave it, your not talking about a race, and therfore, it’s not racism. But I get your point and your correct.
Most women in Iran are muslim, but would rather not cover their hair and indeed most only partially cover their hair. So while yes it might be an islamic law it is not one that most muslims there like.
Its not so long ago that you could have disribed Ireland as a catholic theocracy and we still carry lots of catholic bias in our laws.
The last thing the west needs to do is start rattling Iran, this has the effect of strengthening their intolerant government and allows them to label any criticism as unpatriotic. Give the Iranian people a chance and the country will reform from the inside.
How about an article on women drivers in Saudi Arabia?
Is the heading translated by google? It’s too early for puzzles.
It’s such a forward thinking religion.
They should bring something like that in here… too many women drivers on the road.
Aren’t they very good really letting “their woman” drive in the first place…
Lovely people these freedom loving Iranians…..
That’s what you’re supposed to say. It’s a ridiculous and pointless story.
actually Iranians are the nicest people I’ve met you should visit somtime it might open your mind.
Just because they have a shit government doesn’t make them bad.
Ignorant comment. I’m married to an Iranian and as mentioned above, they are a very educated, intelligent, humble and generous people. Yes, they are governed by an idiotic regime but how did that all come about? Go visit some time and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the welcome and hospitality shown to you. Leave the sarcasm at home!
@Bleedin. I couldn’t agree more. I spent 3 weeks in Iran this year and I was completely amazed by the people there. I feel ashamed reading what fellow Irish write when I think about the average Iranians politeness and hospitality.
I’ve spent time in a range of Arab/Muslim countries and I can attest to their hospitality. Bigotry and racism is alive and well in our lovely little country.
My issue will never with the people themselves or with the religion itself . I have met middle eastern people from all countries and cultures and without sounding like I am generalising they are lovely have strong family ethos and as you say very well educated . However when you mix any religion with government people will never have freedom and this I find disturbing
Their religion, their government, their country, mind your own. It’s not like in the near hundred years of “freedom” that we’ve done great
if they are so wonderful, maybe they should change their government…. they did it before in 1979…..
In the US people get tazed to death over traffic violations. I think I’d settle for my car being impounded.
It bothers me to see a the meaning of the word republic being totally disemboweled by the religious prefix . This is no longer a republic it’s a theocracy . Religion has absolutely zero place in government as it is too sectarian too polarising and too misanthropic to be dictating the laws of any state . Imagine what sort of a state we would be in now if the Catholic Church still ran the country and that wasn’t nearly as controlling as is the reality of present day Iran
Apart from wanting to kill all the Jews in the middle east with nuclear weapons Iran is OK
So how would you explain the 10,000 Jewsish Iranians who have been living in Iran their whole live? Why aren’t they dead already?
Even the Nazis kept a certain amount of Jews alive to assist in rounding up and disposing of the rest.
“40,000 cases of bad hijab.” Might start asking the women in work if their suffering from bad hijab when they get narky with me.
Don’t worry about the seat belt so long as your wearing your balaclava.
Ah c’mon. Iran is pretty moderate right now with a fledgling fashion industry. They’ve loosened restrictions considerably since the revolution in 79. They have a fine eye for high fashion and would be very aware of good taste. Or so I’m led to believe!
Get rid of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and you’ll have one of the most moderate, almost western style Muslim nation in the world…
The Americans don’t like this, nor do there Israeli partners, who would use any excuse to invade Iran and destroy it like the rest of the middle east, apart from there fundamentalist Islamic business partner’s, the Saudi’s!
I think the Americans are slowly coming around to the fact, that is why both the Isrealis and the Saudis are getting so hysterical.
Isreal and Saudi agreeing, strange bedfellows does realpolitik make.
Any effort in covering hair in Iran is passable by authorities. Jez give them a break. One of the safest countrys in the world and ye shiite stirers are sendin out this crap .
Now that’s a Bad Hair Day,
Author do you have anything else. Iran is about 5 thousands km away. It’s too early for this kind of news. If you have no news then zip it.
Latest hijab style with zip!
Wasn’t to long ago, women in Ireland had to cover theirs too. Now as consumption is our religion, our Capitalistic overlords have no problem confiscating cars for not covering one of the many many taxes imposed on them.
I wonder how many women had it on properly & crashed?? Maybe they couldn’t see right & took it down? Mad kip
oh for gods sake! so you get arrrested for not wearing it in your home country, and when you were it in other countries you get a bunch of r-tards beating the hell out of you for “looking like a terrorist” you cant win as a Muslim woman
have your say