Iranian women fined $260 for ‘bad hijabs’

TEHRAN: A Tehran court has fined two women $260 for violating the Islamic dress code by not wearing their mandatory hijabs (head scarves) properly in the street, a judicial official was quoted Wednesday as saying.
“In recent days several cases have been filed in the court for bad hijabs and, in two of them, the accused were sentenced to pay 9 million rials ($260/232 euros) in cash,” Arman daily quoted the official as saying.
When in public, all women in Iran, including foreigners, are required to wear the loose scarf, which covers the hair and neck.
However, in some rich neighborhoods of northern Tehran, a city of 12 million, it is not uncommon to see women’s scarves around their shoulders. Many young women also wear tight clothes and short coats.
No details were given on what the women had done wrong to warrant the fine, which is equivalent to the monthly minimum wage.
Earlier this month, a police official said women drivers could have their cars impounded if they are caught driving with a poorly fixed veil or with their heads uncovered.
In the past six months, managers of 73 residential buildings have been “called in” as part of the war against mixed “night parties,” Arman quoted the same official as saying.
“The number of night parties has dropped sharply compared to last year,” he said.