In Iran, two women were attacked by a man in a supermarket for not wearing a headscarf (one of them does, but not “in the right way”). The fact was captured by the CCTV cameras of the grocery store and is causing a stir: the video shows the Iranian women and the attacker during an argument inside the supermarket in Shandiz, a town in the north-east of the country near Mashhad; at one point, the man pours yogurt on the two’s heads before being confronted by the shopkeeper. The attacker, reports the Bbcwas arrested for disturbing public order, but the Iranian judiciary has also ordered the arrest of the two women: accused of showing their hair in public, a gesture considered illegal in the country.
Video – In the video, which went viral, the two customers are seen being approached by the man, who starts talking to them. Then, suddenly, he takes what appears to be a package of yogurt off a shelf and angrily throws the contents on their heads. But, contrary to what happened in the past, the shop owner and another customer intervene in defense of the two women, chasing away the attacker. “Necessary notices” were also issued to the shop owner to ensure compliance with the law.
The arrests follow months of protests calling for an end to the compulsory wearing of the hijab. Anger and frustration with the law have fueled dissent in Iranian society. The protests they spread throughout the Islamic Republic in September, after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl arrested by Tehran’s morality police because she was guilty, according to the authorities, of wearing the veil “improperly”. Hundreds of people were killed in the demonstrations, including dozens of security personnel, and thousands were arrested in connection with what Iranian officials described as “riots” fomented by Israel and the West. And the authorities show no sign of letting up.