Police in Iran have arrested 49 people this week in a crackdown on ‘satanic’ Western-style clothes and haircuts.
It is part of a nation-wide campaign to stop the spread of Western cultural influence in the Islamic republic, where strict dress codes are enforced.
‘Police confronted rascals and thugs who appeared in public wearing satanic fashions and unsuitable clothing,’ said Qaemshahr city police commander Mahmoud Rahmani.
He added that five barber shops were shut and 20 more warned for ‘promoting Western hairstyles’.
In the past, such crackdowns have lasted a few weeks or months, but the current campaign was launched in 2007 and has not let up.
It includes measures against men sporting spiky ‘Western’ hairstyles or women
wearing tight trousers and high boots.
Women are supposed to wear clothing that covers their hair and disguises the shape of their bodies.
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But some, particularly in cities, wear headscarves pushed back well beyond their hairlines and sport tight-fitting outfits.
Some analysts say the authorities fear such open acts of defiance against the Islamic Republic’s values could escalate i… >>>
