Rejection of the hijab is not a psychiatric diagnosis

On Nov 2, 2024, the world witnessed the protest of a young student on the grounds of Tehran's Azad University, Iran. This young woman was reportedly harassed by the university's morality guards (paramilitary members of the Basij ([paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]) for improper wearing of the headscarf. In response, as seen in various privately captured videos shared online1 and in a statement from Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi,2 the student removed some of her clothing in protest. She was seen sitting silently on a wall or pacing back and forth in apparent anger. She did not chant slogans, but instead can be seen as staging what could be seen as a silent protest against her harassment over the hijab imposed by the morality guards.