Tehran police intensifies crackdown on women, men over dress code

Jun 16, 2008, 14:57 GMT

Tehran - Tehran's police has intensified crackdown on women and men over the Islamic dress code, Fars news agency reported Monday.

A police spokesman told Fars news agency that more than twenty cars whose passengers were not observing dress codes were confiscated until further notice.

The police has also interrogated young men with 'Western style hair-styles' about their barber shops. At least one of the barber shops in the high-society shopping centre Tandis in northern Tehran was closed down, the spokesman said.

Also more than 30 textile shops selling Western-style clothing were closed down by the police for contributing to social immorality, the spokesman added.

The Iranian police and vice units usually start their crackdowns in the summer season when, due to temperatures reaching almost 40 degrees, women wear lighter clothing. Also absolutely taboo for women are Bermuda-style pants, tight coats, loose scarves and no socks.

The hair-style and clothing of young Iranian men have also been added to the crackdown operations.

All women in Iran, including foreigners, are expected to respect the Islamic dress code of contour-hiding gowns or long coats and scarves hiding the hair, but many women in Tehran and other big cities have been ignoring strict observation of the rules.

The women's dress code has been a controversial issue in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

All plans by the administration to force women fully to respect the code have so far been futile.

During the eight-year presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) the issue was ignored, with the effect of encouraging women to follow new and far more daring fashion styles.

Immediately after the victory of ultra-conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 2005 presidential elections, women feared a more restrictive dress code although Ahmadinejad has tried to distance himself from the crackdowns.