Women cartoon characters must 'wear hijab', rules Iran's Khamenei

Women depicted in cartoons must 'wear hijab', rules Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei

Wearing the hijab and modest clothing became mandatory for women in Iran, following the Islamic revolution of 1979.

2 min read

22 February, 2021

Iran’s supreme leader ruled that women depicted in cartoons must observe the Islamic hijab [Getty]

Women depicted in cartoons or animated films must wear the hijab, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled in a fatwa on Saturday, the semi-official reported.

Asked whether it was necessary for animated characters to be portrayed with their hair covered, Khamenei responded with his ruling, stating that observing the compulsory Islamic head covering was necessary even for women in cartoons.

"Although wearing hijab in such a hypothetical situation is not required per se, observing hijab in animation is required due to the consequences of not wearing hijab," Khamenei's response to the question said, according to Tasnim.

It remains unclear how the fatwa will be put into force.

Tehran has imposed strict censorship laws on the country's film industry.

Scenes deemed immoral or offensive are often censored, while films considered hostile to Islamic values are banned.

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, many ultra-conservative figures have opposed the screening of foreign films and series where women appear without the hijab.

Religious groups say it encourages women to reject the head covering.

Wearing the hijab and modest clothing became mandatory for women in Iran, following the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Women have regularly been targeted by the republic's morality police, known as Gasht-e Ershad, for showing some hair in public or for "improperly" wearing the hijab.

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