The Body and Soul of the Feminine Revolution in Iran

By Maryam Sayyad

Iran is undergoing a fundamental and multi-layered transformation. One layer is political, and the other is mythological. One is a physical event, and the other is an event in the Iranian soul.

The Body of the Iranian Revolution:

Let’s not mince words: Iran is in the midst of a revolution, and women lead this revolution. Leaders have yet to provide a manifesto for the precise goals of the revolution. But much can be deciphered from contextualizing the symbols, slogans, actions, and images that emerge organically.

By removing their veils in public, Iranian women and girls are speaking out against compulsory hijab, a state-imposed uniform for women based on the state’s interpretation of Islamic ideology. It consists of a tunic to cover curves, a veil to cover the hair, and thick stockings or similar covering for the legs. But this is only the surface of their statement. The women say infinitely more in symbolic language. To remove one’s hijab at this particular moment in Iran is to denounce not only compulsory hijab but, by extension, compulsory religion. Given that Iran is a religious dictatorship or theocracy, religion is compulsory.

In other words, the government’s interpretation of Islamic law is the state’s law. And therefore, to reject compulsory religion is to reject the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is to revolt against the government.