Crackdown in Iran over Dress

Thousands of Iranian women have been cautioned over their poor Islamic dress this week and several hundred arrested in the capital Tehran in the most fierce crackdown on what's known as "bad hijab" for more than a decade...

Can't have "bad hijab", can we? It might make men actually look at women, then the country would implode.

Police cars are stationed outside major shopping centres in Tehran.

They are stopping pedestrians and even cars - warning female drivers not to show any hair - and impounding the vehicles and arresting the women if they argue back.

Why the heck does a woman showing her hair merit this? Why do they blame all ills on women?

Thousands of women have been cautioned by police over their dress, some have been obliged to sign statements that they will do better in the future, and some face court cases against them.

All over a scarf? And we wonder why the world doesn't take the Middle East or Islam seriously?

Here's an article talking to 3 Iranians about their views.

ZAHRA ANSARI, 36, MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN said:

I believe in personal choice but also in modesty, as modesty is a virtue that our religion advocates - for both from men and women.

I am all for modesty, but modesty cannot be imposed by force.

Hmmm, soo which is it, personal choice or modesty? What if it is someone's personal choice Not to be modest? Does personal choice go out the window then?

HS, BUSINESSMAN, TEHRAN said:

For women, since we live in an Islamic country, they should wear something polite and modest and respect Islamic rules. But I do not believe in police enforcing these rules!

Oh, so only women should be modestly dressed? But who is to enforce this, if not the police? If they don't enforce it, the women will go wild and all dress naked!

A., glad she lives in a country without the fashion police.