Airport police prohibits women with “improper veil”

In the past three months airport police has prevented 17 women from traveling due to “inappropriate cover”. Nabiollah Heydari, head of Iran airport police by reporting this news to ILNA stated: during this time 112 women and 210 men have been arrested by our forces, all which are related to “the discussion of social anomalies”. According to this report, 33, 029 male and female passengers have been allowed to travel after changing their attires. The head of airport police stated: passengers with “inappropriate attire” will only be allowed to continue with their trip after they change to more appropriate clothing. He added: “even those with inappropriate cover who come to the airport to receive family members are not allowed entering the receiving area”. According to him, during this time 3,506 passengers have been written up. 78,714 female travelers have been warned by police forces due to “improper veil” in the recent year.

Mr. Heydari continued: “male and female passengers must respect their countries’ culture and sacred in domestic and international trips; otherwise necessary action will be taken against them”. Pressure on women has increased ever since the reelection of Mahmood Ahamadi Nejad and police in a plan called “guidance police” has arrested many women with inappropriate covers. Arrests and warnings continues while Ahmadi Nejad in a live TV interview has stated that government is not thrilled about what has been going on under the name of “fighting against improper veil” and that the “government has nothing to do with it”. According to Mohammad Husain Safar Harandi, former minister of culture, council of public culture had ordered the “instruction of veil” which was approved by Mr. Ahmadi Nejad back in 2006.

Syed Ali Aghazadeh, member of National Security and Parliament’s Foreign Policy told Mehr News: “the government is well aware of police missions”. Iranian police force that are responsible to deal with “improper veil” are being ran by country’s Interior Minister. According to the Islamic law, all women are required to dress and cover in such way provided by government guidelines and violating these laws will follow punishment by law.