Girls still intoxicated at school, women attacked or even arrested for not wearing headscarves or not wearing them correctly. And now in Iran – where the veil has become a symbol of an internal break in society, between those faithful to the principles of the revolution and those who are tired of impositions – comes the decision of the Ministry of Education of Teheran, which has imposed the obligation for female students to respect Islamic dress codes in the classrooms. Translated, it means to wear the hijab. The decision follows ongoing protests in the country since Septemberor since the death of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after being arrested by Tehran’s so-called moral police on charges of not wearing the Islamic veil correctly. Since then, many women have been defying the rules around wearing the hijab, especially in larger cities. The Ministry of Education’s 16-point document states that the hijab obligation is aimed at creating safe and healthy spiritual growth. After the press release was released, various Iranian media reported on the resignation of the education minister Youssef Nooriimmediately approved by president. His resignation, write the Iranian media, would be linked to the delayed payment of the salaries of teachers on the eve of the Persian New Year.
But the theme of the veil goes far beyond the obligation to school: some women who did not wear it in shops e shopping centers of some cities of Iran, reports the portal of Iranian dissidents based abroad ‘Iran International’, have been arrested and locals they have been closed. TO There isin the province of Isfahan40 shops were closed because customers did not comply with the obligation to bring veloin force since the foundation of the Islamic Republic in 1979. A Kermanshahin western Iran near the border with l’Iraqthe staff of the tourist complex Taq-e Bostan barred women not wearing hijabs from entering the area while the attorney Of Unfoldin the southern province of Khuzestansaid that “one of the city’s tourist sites has been closed since Friday because it did not abide by moral standards”.
The question of the veil, then, is not the only one to affect women. In fact, the cases of intoxication Of girls in schools, a phenomenon that began in November last year on which there are still no official answers. So far, more than 5,000 female students have been hospitalized for inhaling toxic gas in schools in 26 provinces across the country. And the suspicion is that they may be deliberate attacks to prevent girls from having an education or to “punish” them for having participated in the anti-government demonstrations that have been going on for months. The latest episodes are about five female students of the 22-Bahman Girls’ School Naghadehin the province of Azerbaijan western in the northwest of Iranwho were taken to the hospital after inhaling toxic gas while at the school.