Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
RFL/RE – An elementary school principal beat an 11-year-old Iranian girl for allegedly not adhering to the country’s hijab law because her head scarf slipped off while she was helping during gym class, according to local media.
“My daughter was collecting the sports gear in class when her head scarf unintentionally slipped off,” the Tehran-based Etemad newspaper quoted the victim’s mother as saying on January 28. The girl’s name was not released. “The principal reacted violently, beating her around the neck.”
The mother said she filed a complaint with police over the assault, which she said has caused panic attacks and severe anxiety for her child, who has since missed several weeks of school.SEE ALSO:Special Report: The Protests That Shook Iran’s Clerical System
The Iranian Forensic Medicine organization confirmed there were signs of physical harm to the girl and suggested compensation and a “need for psychological therapy to address the emotional trauma inflicted on the young girl.”
The hijab, or Islamic head scarf, became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new authorities.
Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing.
Iran’s schools, particularly girls’ schools, became focal points for unrest involving the hijab after the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for a violation allegedly related to her head scarf.
The government responded again by cracking down violently on student campuses, while firing and imprisoning many educators for their support of the demonstrators.
Restrictions have been tightened already at many educational institutions, with teachers under increased pressure and many students facing severe disciplinary actions for voicing any dissent.SEE ALSO:’Naked’ And Defiant: Diary Of An Iranian Protester
The activist HRANA news agency says that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread discontent with the government.
Thousands have been arrested in the clampdown, with the judiciary handing down harsh sentences — including the death penalty — to protesters.
