- By Supratik Das
- Sun, 07 Dec 2025 03:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Iran hijab law: Iranian authorities have arrested two organisers of a marathon on Kish Island after images surfaced online showing several women competing without wearing the mandatory hijab, officials confirmed on Saturday. The incident has reignited debate over women’s freedoms and dress codes in the Islamic Republic.
The judiciary said the arrests followed the circulation of photographs from the race held on Friday, where some female participants were seen running with uncovered heads. The marathon, organised in separate categories, saw around 2,000 women and 3,000 men take part.
Organisers Taken Into Custody
According to the Iranian judiciary’s official Mizan Online website, warrants were issued against two main organisers of the event. One of those detained is a senior official associated with the Kish Free Zone, while the other is linked to the private firm that managed the race.
Authorities accused the organisers of failing to enforce Iran’s compulsory dress rules during the public sporting event. The prosecutor in Kish described the manner in which the race was conducted as a “violation of public decency.” “Despite prior warnings about the need to comply with religious and legal regulations, the event was held in a way that violated public morality,” the local prosecutor was quoted as saying by France24.
The images of women running without headscarves triggered sharply divided reactions across Iran. Supporters of social reform hailed the scenes as a powerful symbol of resistance against state-imposed dress restrictions. Many on social media described it as another quiet act of defiance by Iranian women.
However, conservative voices and government officials condemned the act, calling it an unacceptable challenge to long-standing Islamic norms and laws. Just a few years ago, the participation of large numbers of women in a public sporting event, even in segregated categories, would have been considered highly unusual in Iran.
Hijab Remains At Flashpoint
The issue of the hijab has remained at the heart of Iran’s social and political tensions. Enforcement has fluctuated over the years, alternating between periods of relative leniency and strict crackdowns.
The latest arrests come just days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly defended the mandatory hijab amid growing defiance by women across the country. Addressing a gathering of women last week, Khamenei said that in the Islamic Republic, a woman who wears the hijab “can progress more than others in all areas” and play an active role both in society and at home.
Recently, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned that authorities would intensify action against women appearing in public without hijabs. He directed intelligence agencies to identify what he termed “organised efforts promoting non-veiling and immorality.”
While the Kish marathon arrests mark another step in that enforcement drive, the quiet resistance continues, particularly among younger Iranians, suggesting that the standoff between society and the state is far from over.