Women from Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran protest forced hijab by sharing videos of themselves taking off their head scarves through hashtags #WhiteWednesdays and #FreeFromHijab on social media.
Imagine waking up in morning and wearing whatever you want on your own body...
— Yasmine Mohammed ياسمين محمد ? (@YasMohammedxx) September 7, 2019
Most of you don’t have to imagine. That’s your reality.
But that is not the reality for women whose bodies are controlled by the Islamic Republic of #Iran#WhiteWednesdays#FreeFromHijab pic.twitter.com/nWcwzwqDFv
A while ago, an Iranian online movement advocating for women's freedom of choice created the White Wednesday movement which invites men and women to wear white veils, scarves or bracelets to show their opposition to mandatory forced veiling laws.
The simple act of removing your hijab will make you a criminal in Iran.
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) September 1, 2019
Let's be a voice for all the Iranian women prisoned for protesting compulsory hijab. #WhiteWednesdays #IranRegimeChange pic.twitter.com/Q2tobrHum0
Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-born journalist and activist based in the United Kingdom and the United States created the movement to protest Iran's mandatory hijab rule. She described the movement saying, "This campaign is addressed to women who willingly wear the veil, but who remain opposed to the idea of imposing it on others. Many veiled women in Iran also find the compulsory imposition of the veil to be an insult."
This woman from Afghanistan removes her hijab in front of camera to support #WhiteWednesdays .
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 8, 2019
Right now there are 10 Iranian women are in jail for protesting #ForcedHijab
Celebrities, journalists, politicians! We need your sisterhood & support. Be our voice & make your video. pic.twitter.com/ItlF8ErJRc
In the videos shared on social media, women from all over the Middle East, and even from Spain, take off their hijab and call for their right to not wear it.
When you see Islamic Republic officials challenge them about #ForcedHijab
This is how I grilled Iranian Vice President @mowlaverdi & other female parliamentarians when they came to United Nation. Don’t say hijab is the law of the country.
Slavery us to be legal.#WhiteWednesdays pic.twitter.com/mxCbOcl6Pq— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 5, 2019
In the beginning of this week, an Iranian woman set herself on fire after being jailed for entering a stadium. This was a brutal reminder about the reality and the risks of being arrested for walking unveiled or protesting mandatory hijab laws in Iran.
Yesterday a woman set herself on fire after being jailed for entering stadium. Today, 2women from Iran tell the world what it’s like to live under gender apartheid.
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 4, 2019
They know the risk of being arrested for #WalkingUnveiled & filming for #WhiteWednesdays . @FIFAcom & #EU hear them pic.twitter.com/erYJeZGC9S
Women from Turkey also shared their solidarity with Iranian women by calling out the oppressive reality of forced Hijab and its heavy burden on females anywhere in the world.
We are women from Turkey acting against oppressions aiming unveiled women. We are in the same rebellion with our sisters in Iran. No regime is enough to oppress our freedom. #SabaKordafshari should be released!#WhiteWednesdays ?️@AlinejadMasih @narkadindayanis pic.twitter.com/ZwSaqprbf5
— Yalnız Yürümeyeceksin (@yalniz_yurume) September 1, 2019
A Spanish journalist showed her support for the movement, which raises awareness towards Iranian activists imprisoned for protesting compulsory hijab in Iran.
This is called solidarity. Spanish journalist openly supports #WhiteWednesdays activists imprisoned for saying no to compulsory hijab in Iran
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) August 31, 2019
Celebrities, journalists, politicians. We need your support. Be our voice and make your video.
Support our campaign against forced hijab pic.twitter.com/bfzGuuiwoO
In the meantime, at least 40 Iranian women are in jail for peacefully challenging the Islamic Republic of Iran, including 10 women who protested their mandatory hijab laws in the strict country.
40 Iranian women are in jail for peacefully challenging the Islamic Republic including 10 activists of #WhiteWednesdays .
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 4, 2019
The whole world keep silent but the mother of these jailed women are not silent. They joined the movement and they say NO to #Forcedhijab everyday. pic.twitter.com/ho2M9c3F6N
