The murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, who was detained by the morality police for improperly donning a hijab (headscarf), has sparked widespread demonstrations throughout Iran. In the streets, protesters have set Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s portraits ablaze while yelling “death to the tyrant.” Women protestors also cut off their hair and burned their hijabs in the open as a sign of resistance to the hijab law.
An old video of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser making fun of the necessity to make hijabs obligatory for women in Egypt has recently emerged on social media during the protests.
The post’s description stated, “This is what Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s second president (1954–1970), said in response to the Muslim Brotherhood leader who pushed for the country’s Hijab law.” The year was 1958. What has changed since that time of liberalism and empowerment, continued?
In the video, Mr. Nasser described a 1953 conversation he had with Muslim Brotherhood leader Hassan al-Hudaybi. “With the Muslim Brotherhood, we truly sought to reach a compromise. If they were prepared to act appropriately and correctly,” Mr. Nasser is heard saying in the footage.
The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood sat down with me and outlined his demands when we first met. Who or what did he ask? He told me for the first time to make wearing a hijab mandatory in Egypt and make every woman walking in the street wear a tarha (scarf). Every woman is walking!” Mr. Nasser added.
The audience quickly voiced their displeasure at this, with one person yelling, “Let him wear that.” The former Egyptian leader chuckled as he continued to tell the audience what he had said to al-Hudaybi. In my view, the man remarked that each individual should establish the rules in their own home.
“And I informed him, “Sir, you have a daughter in The College of Medicine… she’s not wearing a tarha.” He said, “No, as the leader, you are accountable.” Why did you not force her to put on a tarha? You expect me to put tarhas on 10 million women if you can’t get one girl—your daughter—to wear one. On my own, “The audience cheered when Mr. Nasser questioned.
The footage has startled internet users ever since it was uploaded. “Can’t believe this was Islam in the 1950s. Damn, what just occurred!!! “one person remarked. Another person said, “Seems like a period where common sense was still abundant.”
Meanwhile, the continuous protests in Iran over the murder of Ms. Amini while in the custody of the morality police have resulted in at least 41 fatalities and over 700 arrests, including 60 women. After being detained by Iran’s notorious morality police for reportedly wearing a hijab improperly, a 22-year-old died. Following her passing, widespread protests broke out across the nation’s cities, leading to the government resorting to a harsh crackdown on demonstrators.
