Unveiling Decree · Kashf-e Hejab

Culture of origin: Iranian · Historical

Holiday sources: Iran

Reza Shah's decree banned all Islamic veils, including the hijab and chador, and was enforced swiftly and by force; many kinds of traditional men's clothing were banned too. Iran's women's movement had supported unveiling since the 1920s. The ban lasted five years (1936–1941); after it, women were free to dress as they wished for forty years, until the 1979 revolution brought the reverse ban on unveiling. Dress has been a core issue of Iranian politics ever since.