Forced Hijab: Former Iranian President Khatami Calls for Flexibility

Former reformist President Mohammad Khatami criticized the Iranian government's strict implementation of mandatory hijab rules and called for reforms in the country instead of a regime change.

"They say that if a woman's headscarf is halfway down the back of her head, they are our children, but if the headscarf falls and exposes four strands of hair, they are no longer our children,” Khatami said during a meeting with political activists and journalists on April 25.

“While Islam opposes vulgarity, it is not a religion of stagnation and can be flexible according to time and place," the ex-reformist president added. 

He also said that overthrowing the government “will only lead to heavy chaos and unrest, and Iran will not benefit from it." 

Khatami served as president from 1997 until 2005. His latest remarks come as the country continues to be stricken with widespread anti-government protests.

All women in Iran must conceal their hair with a headscarf and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats while in public. 

But a growing number of women have appeared in public without mandatory hijab since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody in September, triggering the ongoing wave of protests. Amini had been arrested for allegedly wearing a headscarf improperly.

Some defiant women were arrested, summoned by the authorities and faced legal action, while many businesses were shut down due to the failure of owners or managers to observe hijab rules.