The Crackdown on Iranian Women
Women in Iran traditionally enjoyed considerable freedom. But under the fundamentalist regime of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, women are being prosecuted for even minor violations of Islamic law. What
Why is the government upset?
Some Iranian women have adopted Western styles of dressing and thinking. Policewomen in black chadors recently apprehended thousands of young Iranian women because of Islamic dress code violations. Some were decked out in tight jeans and heels; others had allowed their hair to show beneath the obligatory hijab. But improper dress is just one aspect of the crackdown. Dozens of women were jailed at a demonstration for equal rights, while five feminist leaders are now on trial for
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