Twelve female performers have been banned from the entertainment industry by Iranian authorities for violating the nation’s stringent dress code, which requires them to wear headscarves.
According to Mohammed Mehdi Esmaili, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, anybody who violates the law would not be permitted to work.
This action was taken in response to media claims that 12 actresses—among them well-known names like Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoun Riahi, and Fatemeh Motamed-Aria—would not be allowed to participate in movie parts because of hijab infractions.
The government’s stricter enforcement of the dress code comes amid wider social and political tensions in Iran with many citizens pushing for greater personal freedoms and changes in the country’s laws and policies.
