Russian Female Officer Faces Controversy For Not Wearing Hijab

Recently, a few pictures were released by an official from an Iranian media outlet where we can see a Russian female officer, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and attending a public event without covering her head which has triggered controversy in Iran.

Tasmim news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps release the pictures on March 16, 2023. It showed the young Russian female officer attending a press conference about the ongoing exercises between Iranian, Chinese, and Russian navies in the Gulf of Oman.

Russian Female Officer Faces Controversy

Over six months after the national level protests, demanding equal rights and more freedom for women, the Iranian authorities have not taken back the requirement for girls and women to conceal their hair with either a hijab or headscarf and to wear properly loose-fitting trousers under their coat while making public appearances. As Western officials and other authorities are expected to abide by the Islamic republic stress code during their visit to Iran. Many of the natives of Iran have taken to social media for criticising the country's authorities for such double standards.

Netizens took to the social media platform Twitter and wrote comments like, "Do you have the courage to arrest this one Russian officer who can be seen not wearing a hijab? Isn't this country Islamic? Aren't the hijab laws still in place? So why are you just standing by idly?"

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Some social media users recalled the 22-year-old woman who died while being in police custody in September 2022 named Mahsa Amini, her only crime was that she did not comply with the mandatory hijab laws in the country. After this, a large number of Iranian women have been flouting the hijab laws in the country and triggering the protest that swept Iran for over half a year.

The recent controversy about the outfit worn by the Russian military officer came just two days after Bijan Nobaveh, who is a member of the Parliament's culture commission came up with a seven-point proposal to enforce the mandatory hijab rules in a better way.

Popular lawyer and political activist Muhammad Reza Safari wrote in a tweet regarding this at a press conference with the Russian military, "Instead of introducing new hijab laws, you should have shown your religious honour instead". This is not the very first time that clothes worn by a Russian female officer have sparked controversy while her visit to Iran.

Earlier the spokesman of the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova accompanied by Sergei Lavrov the Foreign Minister in Tehran in June 2022. With an ongoing official meeting at the foreign ministry Maria Zakharova was wearing a manteau and a headscarf by her legs were visible which sparked major controversy in the country.