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Iranian police have arrested eight people in a crackdown on Instagram photos of models without the mandatory hijab head covering, charging that they promote "immoral and un-Islamic culture and promiscuity."
The Associated Press reported[1] Monday the arrests came following a two-year investigation. The operation, called Spider II, targeted users of Instagram, according to Iranian state television.
A story about the crackdown on state television included Iranian model Elham Arab being questioned by Iranian prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi.
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"All people love beauty and fame," Arab wrote following her arrest. "They would like to be seen, but it is important to know what price they will pay to be seen."
#Iran gvt arrests "un-Islamic" Instagram models for not wearing #hijabhttps://t.co/VLPIHta5SK pic.twitter.com/sRKxlefpFo[2][3][4][5]
— Voices of Iran (@Voices_of_Iran) May 16, 2016[6]
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"We must fight with enemy's actions in this area," Dowlatabadi was quoted by the state-owned IRAN newspaper as saying. "Of course our actions in this area will continue."
Arab, known for her portraits in wedding dresses, has been charged with "promoting Western promiscuity" after posting pictures of herself on Instagram without a hijab, the New York Post reported.[7]
The eight who face charges will be forced to publicly atone for their crimes.
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According to the AP, Iranian TV stated that "police identified some 170 people in the operation through social media activity as being involved in modeling, including 58 models, 59 photographers and makeup artists. It said those targeted saw their businesses shut down, as well as their pages on Instagram and Facebook removed. Arab's Instagram account could not be accessed Monday."
Iranian Model, Elham Arab, answering to Tehran attorney for posting her pictures without scarf on Instagram pic.twitter.com/y1CSM4FrYQ[8]
— potkin azarmehr (@potkazar) May 16, 2016[9]
Nearly 7,000 plainclothes police officers have been deployed on the streets of Iran's capital of Tehran to enforce the Islamic republic's dress code.
Women have been required to wear the hijab since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which deposed the Western-backed Shah of Iran.
References
- ^ reported (hosted.ap.org)
- ^ #Iran (twitter.com)
- ^ #hijab (twitter.com)
- ^ https://t.co/VLPIHta5SK (t.co)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/sRKxlefpFo (t.co)
- ^ May 16, 2016 (twitter.com)
- ^ reported. (nypost.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/y1CSM4FrYQ (t.co)
- ^ May 16, 2016 (twitter.com)
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