Pars Today

Pars Today- The dressing code seems a limitation in a community which believes in nakedness because the boundary of clothing is determined by moral norms of the society, but in Iran, being clothed and moral limitations are authentic.

The dressing code of the Iranian women has always been assaulted by the Western media and institutions. This is while, the issue of hijab is originated in the Iranian culture and tradition and the Iranian people, just like other regions of the world, have their own cultural and traditional values. Thus, the Iranian community, in comparison with communities such as the Western community, enjoys different norms in gender priorities. Of course, no one is punished for what he does inside his/her house (private boundary); and what matters for the lawmaker is what individuals do in streets and society. In other words, the norms that are displayed in street are important rather than the private life where he/she is free.

It should be known that every country has its own rules and regulations related to dressing which we may or may not like. But, the laws of every community requires to be respected by the individuals of that community. This is an accepted thing in Iran. The point to note is that, by chance, the Iranian law is not the law of dressing but it can be considered as the law to prevent denuding and nakedness.

In the West, too, such laws can be seen. For instance, in some communities like Canada, if a person walks naked in street, he will be put on trial by the court on the offence of "public nudity". In this country, one cannot enter a Macdonald's restaurant without T-shirt. This is a law of dressing. Therefore, the law of dressing may seem limiting in a community which believes in nudity, because the boundaries of dressing are determined with moral norms. In Iran, however, being clothed and moral boundaries are authentic.

Moreover, the issue of dressing and being clothed is not limited to women in Iran. Men, too, cannot come in public without a T-shirt or naked. They should wear clothes. Finally, it is necessary to distinguish imposed cultural and media views and, based on the cultural structure of society, we should not capitulate to the media propaganda.

Key phrases: dressing of Iranian women, hijab and chastity in Iranian culture, dressing culture in various communities

RM/ME