Khamenei: Women in Animations Must Wear Hijab

Women in animations must wear hijab, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced in a new fatwa published by the Fiqh (“Islamic Jurisprudence”) Telegram channel in answer to an inquiry.

“Is observing hijab necessary for characters in animated films (three-dimensional paintings that come from the artist’s mind)?” Khamenei was asked. “Although wearing hijab in such a hypothetical situation is not required per se, observing hijab in animation is required due to the consequences of not wearing hijab,” he replied. In other words, the artist is free to imagine women without hijab but he cannot present them to the viewers.

It remains to be seen how this fatwa will affect animated movies and series shown in Iran. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, some clergymen and religious groups have opposed showing foreign movies and series in which women appear without hijab and believe they encourage women to discard the head covering. However, not all clergymen believe that hijab is mandatory on the screen.