Unveiled women were allowed to attend a Tehran ceremony on Friday where authorities showcased a new statue of pre-Islamic king Shapur I, in what seems to be part of the government’s turn to nationalism to rally support after June's war with Israel.
The event, titled “You Will Kneel Before Iranians Again,” was attended by government officials and supporters, many of whom appeared in diverse styles of dress, including without the mandatory Islamic head covering.
Images shared on social media showed no sign of the strict dress enforcement typically seen in public spaces.
The relaxed atmosphere contrasted sharply with the intensified street enforcement of hijab laws. In recent weeks, authorities have resumed arrests, public warnings, and the closure of businesses such as cafes and restaurants for noncompliance with compulsory dress codes.
In previous years, the government has relaxed hijab enforcement at certain high-profile state events – such as Guards Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani’s funeral or major state-organized marches – to project a more moderate image while maintaining repressive controls in daily life.
Contradictions in official behavior
Two days before the ceremony, Asadollah Jafari, the judiciary chief of Isfahan province, called unveiling “a disruptive act” and urged judicial officers to intervene.
“Some individuals, by engaging in and openly displaying norm-breaking behavior, offend public decency. Since these individuals commit an act that violates the law, their actions constitute an evident crime, and judicial officers must carry out their legal duty,” he said.
Hossein Shariatmadari, the Supreme Leader’s representative and editor-in-chief of Kayhan newspaper, has been one of the most outspoken voices against easing hijab enforcement.
In an editorial on November 1, he wrote that the spread of unveiled women had reached “a worrying level” and described the trend as “a home-wrecking and decency-destroying phenomenon.”
“What is deeply concerning is that some who speak about confronting semi-nudity make no mention of banning unveiling – as if unveiling itself has ceased to be forbidden by religion, law, or humanity, and one must only be careful that it does not turn into full nudity.”
Meanwhile, numerous reports have emerged of business closures over hijab violations in recent weeks, with police insisting that all public venues must enforce dress codes or face shutdown.
The sight of unveiled women at a government celebration in Tehran, while morality patrols reappear across the country, has highlighted the Islamic Republic’s double standard – using selective leniency in public displays even as everyday enforcement grows harsher.
