Feminist movement urges Kaljurand to stand up for rights of Iranian women
My Stealthy Freedoms, an Iranian women's rights movement campaigning against the mandatory hijab law, urged Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marina Kaljurand (independent) to stand up for the right of Iranian women to wear whatever they please.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Sunday, MSF called on Kaljurand, who is currently on an offical visit to Tehran, to talk with Iranian leaders and urge them to repeal the unfair hijab (headscarf) law.
The statement came after Kaljurand appeared wearing a scarf around her face for her meetings with Iranian officials, which the group found inappropriate.
"Please talk to our leaders regarding the compulsory hijab that you yourself had to wear as well during your recent visit," the statement said.
"When our country’s officials travel to your countries, they want you to respect their Islamic values," the statement continued. "They conveniently avoid attending the receptions that you organize under the pretext that alcohol is being served. If that is the case, why don’t you ask them to respect our human values and our right to the freedom of choice?"
MSF started as a Facebook page where Iranian women share their photos without scarves, defying the hijab law put in place by the Iranian authorities.
Wearing the hijab has been a legal requirement for women in Iran since 1979, when the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn