Article One:
Iran ban on 'Western' hairstyles
Monday, 30th April 2007
BBC NewsBy Frances Harrison BBC News, Tehran Iranian police have warned barbers not to give men Western hairstyles or use make up on them. The move is part of an unusually fierce crackdown on what is known locally as bad hijab, or un-Islamic clothing, that this year is also targeting men. Hair stylists have been warned that they could lose their licences if they do not comply. However, police have denied a report that they have ordered barbers not to serve customers wearing ties. Wild Police say that as well as avoiding Western hairstyles and make up, barbers should not pluck customers' eyebrows. Some young boys in Iran sport very wild hair styles, using gel to make their long hair stand on end in a fashion not seen in other countries. Meanwhile newspapers in Iran have quoted the police as saying that 16,000 women and 500 men have been cautioned in the last week over their improper clothing. It is not clear if these figures are nationwide or only apply to the capital, Tehran. Iranian television has said the crackdown on un-Islamic clothing has entered its second phase now where mobile police units will patrol Tehran to look for those who are not observing Islamic dress properly. According to the local media, Tehran's public prosecutor has suggested women who violate dress rules should be exiled from the capital to remote areas of the country. A member of the parliament's legal committee has said there is no legal impediment to doing this.
BBC NewsBy Frances Harrison BBC News, Tehran Iranian police have warned barbers not to give men Western hairstyles or use make up on them. The move is part of an unusually fierce crackdown on what is known locally as bad hijab, or un-Islamic clothing, that this year is also targeting men. Hair stylists have been warned that they could lose their licences if they do not comply. However, police have denied a report that they have ordered barbers not to serve customers wearing ties. Wild Police say that as well as avoiding Western hairstyles and make up, barbers should not pluck customers' eyebrows. Some young boys in Iran sport very wild hair styles, using gel to make their long hair stand on end in a fashion not seen in other countries. Meanwhile newspapers in Iran have quoted the police as saying that 16,000 women and 500 men have been cautioned in the last week over their improper clothing. It is not clear if these figures are nationwide or only apply to the capital, Tehran. Iranian television has said the crackdown on un-Islamic clothing has entered its second phase now where mobile police units will patrol Tehran to look for those who are not observing Islamic dress properly. According to the local media, Tehran's public prosecutor has suggested women who violate dress rules should be exiled from the capital to remote areas of the country. A member of the parliament's legal committee has said there is no legal impediment to doing this.
Article Two:
Tourists not exempt in Iran dress crackdown: police
Monday, 30th April 2007
TEHRAN, April 30, 2007 (AFP) - Iran on Monday warned tourists and other foreigners visiting the country to obey its Islamic dress code in line with a nationwide crackdown against slack dressing, the ISNA news agency reported. "We have asked travel agencies to warn tourists and to explain the laws of this country," said Tehran's deputy chief of police, Hossein Sajedi-Nia. Iran has handed out more than 10,000 warnings over the past 10 days to women deemed to have infringed the dress code in the Islamic republic, and dozens of others have been briefly detained at police stations. Sajedi-Nia indicated there was no chance of a let-up in the crackdown, a regular pre-summer measure being pursued with extra vigour this year, saying that from next week "plain clothes police will go into action." Women must cover their heads and conceal their curves in public in Iran. The law also applies to members of non-Muslim minorities and all visiting foreigners. Thousands of tourists visit Iran every year to enjoy its ancient heritage and mountain scenery, although numbers are kept down by visa regulations and regional tensions affecting tourism throughout the region. Iran is seeking to relax visa rules and improve its accommodation facilities in a bid to massively boost the numbers of annual visitors. The head of Iran's police force, Esmaeel Ahmadi-Moghadam, said that the crackdown on clothing was not a temporary measure and would continue for the sake of personal security for women. "At the moment, women are unable to go in peace to public baths, swimming pools or hotels," he said, referring to an acknowledged problem in Iran where women are often secretly filmed and photographed without their knowledge.
TEHRAN, April 30, 2007 (AFP) - Iran on Monday warned tourists and other foreigners visiting the country to obey its Islamic dress code in line with a nationwide crackdown against slack dressing, the ISNA news agency reported. "We have asked travel agencies to warn tourists and to explain the laws of this country," said Tehran's deputy chief of police, Hossein Sajedi-Nia. Iran has handed out more than 10,000 warnings over the past 10 days to women deemed to have infringed the dress code in the Islamic republic, and dozens of others have been briefly detained at police stations. Sajedi-Nia indicated there was no chance of a let-up in the crackdown, a regular pre-summer measure being pursued with extra vigour this year, saying that from next week "plain clothes police will go into action." Women must cover their heads and conceal their curves in public in Iran. The law also applies to members of non-Muslim minorities and all visiting foreigners. Thousands of tourists visit Iran every year to enjoy its ancient heritage and mountain scenery, although numbers are kept down by visa regulations and regional tensions affecting tourism throughout the region. Iran is seeking to relax visa rules and improve its accommodation facilities in a bid to massively boost the numbers of annual visitors. The head of Iran's police force, Esmaeel Ahmadi-Moghadam, said that the crackdown on clothing was not a temporary measure and would continue for the sake of personal security for women. "At the moment, women are unable to go in peace to public baths, swimming pools or hotels," he said, referring to an acknowledged problem in Iran where women are often secretly filmed and photographed without their knowledge.
No comments:
Post a Comment