There is no idea how this wave of anger will end. And will the Iranian government be willing to change its policies? However, because the Iranian authorities still insist that the protesters’ actions are illegal, all those involved in the demonstrations will be brought to justice. Meanwhile, Iranians, especially activists, will continue to demand fundamental rights and protection of people’s dignity.
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This wave of demonstrations is said to be the largest since 2019. In November 2019, Iran was rocked by large demonstrations in which around 100 demonstrators were killed. However, at that time, the protest triggered an increase in fuel oil prices by up to 50 per cent.
What was surprising is that even though the hijab was already familiar with the Iranian people’s tradition, even before the country was founded. Iran, like Saudi Arabia or other religious (Islamic) countries, from the beginning, has implemented Islamic law, or its positive rules are sourced and based on the teachings of sharia. One of them is the matter of the hijab.
In the history of modern countries, Iran and Saudi Arabia are known as the most strict countries in implementing Islamic law. The difference is that Saudi Arabia follows the Wahhabi line, while Iran is officially Shia. Therefore, the relationship between the two countries has always been “hot and cold” in regional geopolitics. Even so, the world knows that both countries apply Islamic law strictly, including how women should dress and act in public spaces.
Unlike in Iran, recently, the Saudi Arabian authorities have begun to “relax” the regulations that have been considered to limit women’s fundamental rights and roles in public spaces. For example, women can drive their own vehicles on public roads. Saudi Arabian women are also allowed to work in fields that have been “monopolized” by men. Saudi Arabian women can also hang out in open areas to watch football or prance while watching concerts.
Most recently, the Saudi Arabian authorities revoked the law requiring women to wear the hijab in public spaces. Don’t confuse it with forbidding women to wear the hijab, but the rules that require it are abolished. This means that women in Saudi Arabia may not wear the hijab. Hijab or not, the decision is left to each individual. The state does not interfere with the beliefs of its people.