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Spotlight On Iran

Iranian Cleric's Comments Likening Loosely Veiled Women To Prostitutes Spark Backlash

An Iranian woman veiled in a modern fashion talks on the phone in Tehran.
An Iranian woman veiled in a modern fashion talks on the phone in Tehran.

Judging women by the degree to which they respect the compulsory hijab is nothing new in Iran.

In the past, hard-liners have accused so-called "badly veiled women" of being responsible for everything from social ills to natural disasters.

But recent comments by the Friday Prayer leader of the central Iranian city of Saveh, who likened women who don't fully respect the Islamic head scarf to prostitutes, appear to mark a new low.

Hojatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Hosseini reportedly made the comments during his Friday Prayers sermon on June 2. He criticized those who are against compulsory veiling while defending it as one of Islam's "most-pressing issues."

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