The Woman Who Defied Iran

On the podcast: Masih Alinejad took off her headscarf and started a movement.

By , the author of Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind.
Masih Alinejad outside her home in New York in May. (Jesse Dittmar for Foreign Policy)
Masih Alinejad outside her home in New York in May. (Jesse Dittmar for Foreign Policy)
Masih Alinejad outside her home in New York in May. (Jesse Dittmar for Foreign Policy)

Iran has imposed strict standards of modesty on women since the Islamic revolution in 1979, including a law that compels them to keep their heads covered in public. Four years ago, the Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad began posting photos of herself on Facebook without the traditional Muslim head covering known as the hijab. Although Alinejad had left Iran by then, women inside the country followed with their own photos under the hashtag #MyStealthyFreedom. On our podcast this week: How Alinejad’s social media campaign has shaken Iran. (Alinejad is profiled by contributor Kim Ghattas in the July print issue of Foreign Policy.)

Iran has imposed strict standards of modesty on women since the Islamic revolution in 1979, including a law that compels them to keep their heads covered in public. Four years ago, the Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad began posting photos of herself on Facebook without the traditional Muslim head covering known as the hijab. Although Alinejad had left Iran by then, women inside the country followed with their own photos under the hashtag #MyStealthyFreedom. On our podcast this week: How Alinejad’s social media campaign has shaken Iran. (Alinejad is profiled by contributor Kim Ghattas in the July print issue of Foreign Policy.)

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