Iran: Policing Clothes and...erm...Bed-head

Apparently, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent crackdowns on hajib (clothing deemed "un-Islamic") now not only apply to such trivial matters as the color of a woman's headscarf or the shape of her clothing, but also to the much more dire problem of bed-head.

According to several recent news articles (another is linked above), American-ized hair-styles have become popular among Iranian young people, mostly men as, of course, many women still feel moved to wear (or are bullied into wearing) scarves that cover their heads. Says BBC News, "Some young boys in Iran sport very wild hair styles, using gel to make their long hair stand on end in a fashion not seen in other countries." And not to discredit BBC, but "not seen in other countries?!" Um...hello! What about this? Or this? Or even something as common and conventional (dare I say "normal"?) as this? It seems to me that deliberately messy hair is popular everywhere, and is not unique to Iran. If you still don't believe me, feel free to step outside and look around every once in a while.

And, surprisingly enough, it isn't Iran's psychopathic president leading this charge against the sin of messy hair, but the hairdressers themselves who are embracing these governmental crackdowns. (These are the same hairdressers who, incidentally, are reportedly no longer permitted to receive clients wearing ties in their businesses, as ties are a sign of Western influence.) Says Mohammad Eftekhari-Fard, the head of the barbers' association in Iranian capital Tehran, "Currently some salons use Western grooming methods to create styles that are in line with the European and American ones." He adds, "The union has repeatedly announced the restrictions against unconventional grooming when issuing permits to each of the barber shops. Hence barbers, knowing these rules, should not pursue the wrong methods." Ah! Barbers using hairspray and gel! What a crime against Iranian values!

To be honest, this reminds me to a certain extent of my first through third grade teachers, all of whom were (and continue to be) strong, commanding women who took upon themselves the personal crusade of making sure all the children arrived each morning with calm, combed, neat-looking hair. It even reminds me of my mother shoving hair-brushes into my hands whenever I wake up in the morning with my knotted, shoulder-length hair hanging loose over my eyes. And, as much as it can annoy me, I almost respect the totalitarian hair-care policies of mothers and elementary school teachers. But a sovereign nation? Come on.

This is another one of Iran's out-of-control youth who reportedly sport "very wild hair styles, using gel to make their long hair stand on end in a fashion not seen in other countries." Now if that's not a sin against Allah, I don't know what is!