The founder of a movement challenging Iran鈥檚 compulsory hijab law says it gives her 鈥済oosebumps鈥� to see women taking off their headscarves and waving them defiantly on street corners in the Islamic republic.
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The flagrant acts of protest are just the latest evolution of a movement started years ago by journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, who has been campaigning against compulsory hijab laws since 2014. The whole thing began with a no-hijab selfie campaign dubbed My Stealthy Freedom, and has since evolved into a more focused movement called White Wednesdays.
鈥淚 decided to pick a colour and to pick a day because the campaign got bigger and bigger,鈥� Alinejad told 麻豆传媒 Channel on Wednesday.
The New York-based activist launched White Wednesdays last year and has been promoting it by sharing videos on her Instagram account of women defiantly waving their white hijabs in public, sometimes on the ends of long sticks.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e using the most visible symbol of oppression as a flag and protesting against compulsory hijab,鈥� she said.
Last week, Iran arrested 29 people, most of them women, in connection with demonstrations against the country鈥檚 headscarf laws.
鈥淎s a woman, if you don鈥檛 wear a hijab, you get arrested, you get jailed between 2-10 months,鈥� Alijenad said.
She added that she is 鈥減roud鈥� of the 鈥渂rave鈥� women who took part in the protests, although she鈥檚 also scared for them.
鈥淚 get goosebumps,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese women got arrested, but there are also a lot of women and men from different cities now joining the movement, saying no to discriminatory laws, especially compulsory hijab.鈥�
Alinejad said the White Wednesdays movement is at a critical point in its evolution, because it鈥檚 moving from an online movement to an offline, public call for change.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why the movement is gaining momentum,鈥� she said.
Alinejad has shared dozens of photos and videos of protesters on her Instagram over the last week.
She said many of these women are 鈥渞isking their lives鈥� by participating in White Wednesdays, and they鈥檙e not going to stop until they see change.
鈥淭hey have been humiliated and patronized for years,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hese women are not going to give up.鈥�
