A woman was arrested in Iran as she went out to have breakfast without wearing a headscarf. The image of her has gone viral on social media. This incident has grabbed the attention of all amid the ongoing protests throughout the country over the death of Mahsa Amini, the sister of the woman quoted on Friday.
As per media reports, the women has been identified as Donya Rad. In a picture from Twitter, she is having her breakfast in a traditional Tehran restaurant along with a female friend who is also not wearing a headscarf.
The image has become viral on social media in no time. The social media users were also seen praising the two women for their act of civil disobedience straight in the face of the strict dress code for women in the Islamic republic.
Earlier, Amini died after her arrest by strict morality police who have implemented the rules for wearing hijab.
Her sister Dina shared her experience on Twitter. "Yesterday, after this photo was published, the security agencies contacted my sister Donya Rad and asked her to give some explanations," she said.
She said that her sister had been put in a notorious wing of the Tehran jail, which is reputedly run by the intelligence ministry. "Today, after going where she was told, she was arrested. After a few hours of silence, Donya told me in a short call that she had been transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison. "
She also said that her family is very concerned about the health of Donya.
The Persian media outside Iran have noted the rapid increase in the number of images in which women are openly neglecting directions for dressing, such as images of women in Iran posting images of themselves roaming around and purchasing the merchandise without wearing headscarves.
Prominent US-based campaigner and journalist Omid Memarian on Twitter pointed out the arrest as brutal. Omid shared on Twitter, "They just went to get breakfast without headscarves. They were arrested. This is how brutal and sick the hijab policy is in Iran. "
On social media, some also compared Rad’s actions with those of the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who protested segregation on buses, and have also put the images of Parks and Rad together.
Famous songwriter and poet Mona Borzouei was also held when she posted a video of herself reading a poem declaring: "We will take this homeland back from your hands."
Activists are concerned. They say that Iran is suffering from one of its most furious crackdowns in years to control the agitations that have bust out since Amini’s death. Till now, two dozen journalists as well as activists and cultural figures have been put behind bars.
The former Iranian international football player Hossein Manahi was held on Friday after he declared his support for the protests on his social media accounts, the state-run IRNA news agency claimed.
Security forces have also arrested singer Shervin Hajipour, whose song "Baraye" ("For"), composed of the tweets showing details of the protests, went viral on Instagram, the rights group Article 19 and Persian-language media based outside Iran confirmed.
His song received millions of views on Instagram and evoked many comments that it got them emotional, has now been removed from his account.
