Simultaneously with the implementation of the “Noor Plan” in Iran, which started on Saturday, April 20, to deal with society’s resistance to hijab, student media reported intensified crackdowns on students under the pretext of not having “appropriate hijab.”
The Amir Kabir newsletter reported that from the early hours of Saturday, crackdowns on Amir Kabir students have reached their highest level in the past ten years.
It has been announced that only at one entrance, more than 20 students were prevented from entering due to what is considered “inappropriate clothing,” and similar situations have been reported at other entrances of the university.
The Amir Kabir newsletter stated that Amir Kabir security agents force female students deemed to have “inappropriate clothing” to wear a chador before being permitted to enter the university.
Earlier on April 10, reports from Al-Zahra University indicated an “increase in campus security” and the installation of “facial recognition cameras” at the entrance and exit of the university in Tehran.
Furthermore, threatening text messages regarding hijab compliance have been sent to students of Malayer University (western Iran).
Pressure on students in Iran has intensified since the nationwide protests of 2022 to the extent that student news sources reported in late September 2023 the establishment of “hijab patrols (morality police)” at Tehran University and the obligation for students to wear “full hijab and long mantles” down to “below the knee.”
On the other hand, the bill passed by the parliament under the title of “Chastity and Hijab” also emphasizes that a “database of students” should be made available to the State Security Forces to identify individuals who violate hijab standards.
In this regard, on September 20, 2023, the latest “Executive Code of Conduct and Professional Attire” for medical students and interns for the academic year 2024-2023 was published.
The code stipulated that “any short or tight clothing, open-front mantles, silk fabric, lace, or attire revealing the body is prohibited.”
It also emphasized that one must be covered with a “long cloak (to below the shoulders) of appropriate thickness covering all hair and the neckline of the garment.” The use of thin and short scarves, shawls alone, or hair protruding from the front or back of the cloak is also “prohibited.”
The code also stressed that “nail extensions” and any makeup or nail polish that “attracts the attention” of others are prohibited.
