Tuesday, May 1, 2007

The Original Fashion Police

Over the weekend there was news that Iranian police had launched a crackdown against women accused of not covering up enough-- arresting nearly 300 women, some for wearing too tight an overcoat or letting too much hair peek out from under their veil.

The crackdown risked triggering a backlash at a time when many Iranians resent Ahmadinejad for failing to boost the faltering economy or halt spiraling prices and blame him for isolating Iran with his fiery rhetoric.

"What they do is really insulting. You simply can't tell people what to wear. They don't understand that use of force only brings hatred toward them, not love," said Elham Mohammadi, a 23-year-old student. See the Fox News report for more details.

Then yesterday, came reports that a similar drive was underway to enforce styles of dress and appearance for men as well. Barbers were warned against giving men western-style haircuts or using makeup on them. In addition, they were instructed not to pluck men's eyebrows or use hair gel either. Violators risked having their business licenses revoked. See the BBC report for more details.

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