Iranian women fight more than the heat this summer

If you're struggling with the heat here in Jersey, imagine being a woman in Iran this summer.

In Tehran, they've got their own warnings on excessive heat: as temperatures rise into the 90s, police are cracking down on violations of the dress code, the Washington Post reported today. So unless a woman wants a whipping, she shouldn't even think about walking around in a loose head scarf and light coat.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian women have been required by law to cover their hair and wear long coats in public. But since that law is kind of vague, some shed the black chador and cover their hairs with small, light scarves during stifling summer months, according to the report.

This, of course, outrages the morality police. It's created particular controversy this summer, thanks to a growing divide between powerful Shiite clerics and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the report explains. Ahmadinejad prefers to urge education about the "benefits" of the dress code so women choose it on their own, instead of harsh enforcement. But the blustering clerics are fed up with his "lax" approach. They're calling this a security issue, claiming women without veils tempt men into divorces and rapes.

Islamic women seeking more freedoms clearly have their hands full with this nonsense. So be thankful it's only your electric fan blowing hot air.

Source: THE STAR LEDGER