My clothes, my choice

Large protests are taking place in Iran; many women are out on the streets to protest against the mandatory wearing of the hijab. The protests began when a woman named Mahsa Amini was arrested by the Iranian morality police for not wearing her hijab properly. When she was taken to the police station her brother witnessed her being beaten by the morality police. She later succumbed to her injuries. This incident shocked the whole country, prompting many women to speak out against the policing of what they wear. This is not the only recent controversy related to the hijab. In India, many Muslim women have been speaking against the Karnataka government’s ban on hijabs in educational institutions. These two controversies seem to be the opposite of each other, where the women of one country are protesting the hijab while the women of another country are in favour of it. However, both cases involve protests against the denial of a woman’s right to choose what she wears. Government authorities should not be allowed to dictate what women wear. The freedom to choose what one wears is a basic and inviolable right.

Urooj Saba

Pir Jo Goth