Footage of a young Persian woman in a public space in just her underwear has circulated into a meme. Her name is Ahoo Daryaei, and she was defiantly protesting the recently imposed additions to the Iranian hijab laws. There is a dignity in her near nudity that transcends the casual sharing of her actions on social media; she likely knew full well what her punishment would be and despite that, she shredded herself free of the repressive symbolism of the theocratic state.
Though not as iconic as the 1989 Tank Man, it is a moment where we, the digital voyeur, are able to peer with distant and cowardly eyes. Those filming were themselves taking a risk by uploading it, allowing the world outside of the regime to bear witness to the reality of theological repression and the hubris of the state’s monopoly on the human body. “How dare this young woman reveal her skin in public, how dare she defy the conservative values of her oppressors? How dare she!” She dared, and now her fate is unknown (though it is very likely that she is suffering for it). That is courage; that is defiance. Those in the clip around her remain obedient, just like the vast majority of us.
In 2023, the Iranian government passed a stricter “Hijab and Chastity Bill” which made freedom of expression punishable by up to ten years in jail. The new law has claimed many victims. Protests the previous year broke out across Iran when Mahsa Amini, a twenty-two year old woman, died in custody after being detained for not abiding by the conservative dress code. Hundreds were killed in the government’s response, which led to the new laws. The harsh legislation includes stipulations on how one speaks about the hijab to how toys and mannequins need to obey a dress code.
There is a monetary punishment for any who do not abide by such codes, including business owners who do not enforce the rules. They can find themselves facing fines of up to three months on their profits. The law also enforces gender segregation in universities and other sectors. The Iranian government has started to use high tech surveillance measures and artificial intelligence software to identity and hunt down violators. Any unveiled woman is to suffer the wrath of the Iranian government, including bits of hair sticking out of the head covering.
Out of the 175 members in the Iranian parliament, only 49 opposed the law. The law is to be trialed for three to five years after which it can be established permanently. It’s just one of the measures of repression that the Iranian government is imposing on its people despite growing liberal sensibilities among many in the populace. The hijab standards imposed on women have become a symbol of the regime’s control, but for others it is celebrated as an act of defiance from what many consider Western intrusions.
Three Iranian actresses—Azadeh Samadi, Leila Bolukat, and Afsaneh Bayeg—who did not wear their hijabs publicly were diagnosed with mental illnesses and forced to undergo psychological treatment. Any woman who is defying the law is taking a risk and will suffer because of it.
“When I protested against mandatory hijab, after the security forces arrested me, my family was pressured to declare me mentally ill, the Islamic republic of Iran even taking me to a forensic doctor. One of my relatives came to see me in prison and shared the situation.”- Azam Jangravi.
It is, however, becoming a tension point between the people of Iran and the government. Like everywhere else across the globe there is a wariness and disdain for government, each nation and culture expressing its dissent differently. For the people of Iran it is at times subtle, with one strand of hair at a time. Or, like Ahoo Daryaei, they strip down to their underwear and defy the government with naked courage.
Others more critical of Western influences have claimed that Daryaei was an agent, influenced by foreign sources to challenge the Iranian regime at a moment when it faces down Israel and the United States. As if those inside the nation do not have a relationship with their government despite the outsiders eagerness to wage war! One can hate domestic imperialists without loving foreign enemies. Such a narrative is simplistic and is biased in the sense that it supports Tehran wholeheartedly, without appreciating the nuance of reality.
One should be able to criticize the absurdity of pariah regimes without such criticisms being used to justify war. The moral stance of anyone who supports individual liberty is to celebrate freedom for all and to point out the vile nature of the state regardless of which one it happens to be. There is a sensitivity among those in the anti-war community to avoid criticizing any nation that is opposed to the United States and its allies for fear that criticism will be used as justification for regime change. The Iranian people desire liberty and freedom like anyone else. That will not come from the U.S. military or Washington’s embargos. It will come in time from within, and acts of such defiance are the pin pricks that bleed tyranny.
Daryaei is one of many who stood firm in her principles and convictions. In the end, the state took her. It assumed ownership of her body but clearly not her spirit or dignity.
