Iranian Leader Who Led Hijab Crackdown Slammed After Daughter’s 'Strapless' Wedding Dress
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 October 2025
· Iranian Leader Who Led Hijab Crackdown Slammed After Daughter’s 'Strapless' Wedding Dress
· No Legal Barriers To Religious Dress For Muslim Nurses: Sri Lankan Minister
· Hijab Row: HC Closes Plea Filed By Kerala School
· ‘It’s Very Difficult To Be Outwardly Muslim’: Why Women Are Finding Freedom In A Viral Scream Club
· UK Envoy Urges Inclusive Government, Women’s Rights In Talks With Kabul Authorities
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-leader-hijab-crackdown-daughter/d/137389
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Iranian Leader Who Led Hijab Crackdown Slammed After Daughter’s 'Strapless' Wedding Dress
Oct 25, 2025
(Source: X)
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A video showing the daughter of a senior aide to Iran’s supreme leader wearing a strapless wedding gown at a luxury hotel in Tehran has stirred a major row. Critics are accusing the regime of hypocrisy over its strict hijab laws.
The footage was reportedly leaked on X on October 17, according to Daily Mail. The video shows Ali Shamkhani, a top ranking advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, escorting his daughter Fatemeh into the Espinas Palace Hotel. Guests can be seen cheering as the bride walks in wearing a white strapless gown with a low neckline.
The Western-style ceremony has been condemned on Iranian social media as a contrast to the modesty and hijab rules that ordinary women are forced to follow. Shamkhani, who once led the government’s harsh crackdown on anti-hijab protests, is now being accused of hypocrisy.
'Lavish wedding in a strapless dress'
“The daughter of Ali Shamkhani, one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers, had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry,” wrote exiled activist Masih Alinejad on X.
“They preach ‘modesty’ while their own daughters parade in designer dresses. The message couldn’t be clearer: the rules are for you, not for them," they added.
'She is free because her father has power'
Swedish-Iranian MP Alireza Akhondi also criticised the display, calling it “a display of hypocrisy, corruption, and fear.” He added, “The daughter of one of the most corrupt and repressive officials of the Islamic Republic is getting married in a lavish celebration, dressed freely. She is free because her father has power. This is no longer religion.”
New hijab rules?
Reports by Iran International claimed the wedding took place in April 2024, with several members of Iran’s political elite in attendance. The backlash comes as authorities prepare to deploy 80,000 new morality police officers in Tehran to enforce hijab rules.
Who is Ali Shamkhani?
Shamkhani, 70, is a long-time ally of Khamenei and served as defence minister and senior military commander before leading the Supreme National Security Council from 2013 to 2023. During his tenure, the regime launched a violent crackdown on protests that erupted following the 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being detained for allegedly violating hijab rules.
According to Human Rights Watch, more than 500 people, including 68 children, were killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, with over 20,000 arrested. A UN fact-finding mission later found that the Iranian government had committed “extensive, sustained and continuing” human rights violations against women and girls.
Shamkhani had previously survived an Israeli air strike on his Tehran residence in June.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/iranian-leader-who-led-hijab-crackdown-slammed-after-daughters-strapless-wedding-dress-goes-viral-display-of-hypocrisy/articleshow/124708195.cms
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No Legal Barriers To Religious Dress For Muslim Nurses: Sri Lankan Minister
25 October 2025
Colombo, October 25 (Dailyt Mirror) - Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath has assured that there are no legal barriers preventing Muslim nurses from adhering to their religious dress requirements while serving in government hospitals.
The assurance follows concerns raised by Muslim civil society organisations, who pointed out that difficulties in wearing attire covering the head and legs have discouraged many Muslim women from joining or continuing in the nursing profession.
The issue was discussed at a recent meeting between Muslim community representatives and government officials, chaired by Minister Herath as part of an ongoing dialogue to address challenges faced by the community. Deputy Speaker Rizvi Sali, Minister Sunil Senevi, Deputy Ministers Munir Mulaffar and Arkam Ilyas, and MP Fasmin Sheriff attended on behalf of the government.
Minister Herath said that the current legal framework allows nurses to protect their religious identity while complying with uniform regulations. He highlighted that neither cultural nor religious practices should hinder individuals from pursuing careers in the health sector.
Source: dailymirror.lk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/No-legal-barriers-to-religious-dress-for-Muslim-nurses-Minister/108-323228
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Hijab Row: HC Closes Plea Filed By Kerala School
Oct 24, 2025
Kochi: High court has closed the petition filed by the manager of St Rita's Public School, Palluruthy, challenging a notice issued by the deputy director of education (DDE), Ernakulam, directing the school authorities to permit a girl student to attend classes wearing a headscarf as part of her religious practice.
A bench of Justice V G Arun closed the petition after recording the submission made by the parents of the girl student that they had decided to discontinue her studies at the school and admit her to another institution. The court observed that, in light of this submission, there was no need to examine the contentious issues raised in the case.
During hearing, the state attorney also submitted that, in view of the parents' decision, the state did not intend to precipitate the issue any further. Accordingly, the bench closed the petition with the observation that it was "happy to note that better sense has prevailed and that, ultimately, fraternity, one of the foundational principles on which the edifice of our Constitution is built, remains strong."
The controversy arose after the school authorities questioned a girl student for attending classes wearing a hijab, which violated the school's prescribed uniform dress code. The incident reportedly led to an altercation on Oct 10, during which the student's father, accompanied by several others, allegedly entered the school premises and assaulted security personnel. On Oct 14, acting on a complaint filed by the girl's father, the DDE issued a notice directing the school authorities to allow the student to attend classes wearing a hijab, prompting the school manager to approach HC.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/hijab-row-hc-closes-plea-filed-by-school/articleshow/124788608.cms
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‘It’s very difficult to be outwardly Muslim’: why women are finding freedom in a viral scream club
Jaheim Karim
24 October 2025
Mona Sharif first heard about the idea of a “scream club” on TikTok. Some Somali girls in Minnesota were letting off steam by screaming in public. Their short, humorous videos had gone viral. Sharif laughed at the absurdity of it, then something clicked. “This is so you,” a friend texted her. Within days, the 26-year-old was planning a London version of the event for her growing online audience of a few thousand followers on Instagram.
The first gathering on 10 October was a surprise success. Dozens arrived in London’s Primrose Hill, unsure of what to expect, until Sharif called for silence, led a short countdown and the crowd erupted in one long, collective scream.
On a chilly Saturday afternoon a week later, people begin to gather on Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath for the second London Scream Squad event. Most of the early arrivals are women, many in hijabs and abayas, gathering on the open grass, chatting quietly. Some have come with friends, others alone, all drawn by the same impulse to let out stress and to find a small pocket of community and friendship amid the vast anonymity of the city.
“I didn’t expect so many Muslim women to come out,” Sharif says. “But maybe it makes sense. We don’t often get spaces to just exist, be loud, and not be judged.” She believes that what began as a playful social media experiment has tapped into something more urgent. “Underneath the fun, there’s an underlying reason people have attended, which is to let out a lot of hurt, emotional distress and frustration with our current situations.”
For attendees like Asia Khatun, a Bengali Muslim poet and author, the appeal of the club was immediate. “It’s very difficult to be outwardly Muslim,” she explains. “I’m a hijabi. I’m also brown and with the rise of authoritarianism in Europe and seeing all the riots in the past year from the far right, you kind of don’t feel as safe as you used to. When you have community spaces like this, amongst people from similar backgrounds or political views, it’s always special.”
For some Muslim women and others who may feel that they navigate society on the margins, the club offers a rare chance to step away from the constant scrutiny of daily life. “In Britain today you’re constantly reminded that you’re the other,” says Khatun. “When you have the identity that I do as a Muslim, you’re always grappling with belonging,”
Khatun describes the event as part of a broader movement in which Muslim women in London are reclaiming a sense of belonging and authorship over how they live and express themselves. “I think there’s a lot of cultural and community spaces being designed and fostered at the moment by Muslim women, particularly, as we’re in a time where a lot of us have more economic agency and social mobility and it’s great to see,” she says.
Sharif’s presence as an organiser of the club lends a sense of familiarity and reassurance to the crowd. As one group of Muslim attendees tells me: “The person that’s organising this, and the figure for it, is an Iraqi woman, which is really close to our heritage. It makes us feel a bit more welcome, a bit more open, so we don’t feel like it’s a hostile environment for us as young, Muslim women.”
Mindful of the diversity and of her audience, Sharif was conscious to make sure the event felt inclusive for all. “Although I grew up Muslim, I don’t talk about my personal religion online. I think I’m more of a representation of being a woman and a woman of Iraqi heritage and Arab heritage,” she says. “But it is very heartwarming to hear that people are saying that I am a great welcomer and messenger for this movement for the Muslim community.”
Sharif’s instinct is to not overexplain the scream club, allowing attendees to engage freely and on their own terms, ultimately letting people decide for themselves what it’s all about. “It’s for anyone and everyone. A lot of people came out today, especially women of Muslim descent, but so did young men, Muslim and some not, and I think that’s amazing people could come out together,” she adds.
When the screams and the noise subside after just a few minutes, people linger in loose circles, faces still flushed with adrenaline. Lauren Kira has come alone, as has Rifa Uddin, but by the end of the afternoon and the 15-minute-long shout, the two struck up a friendship, chatting and laughing together. “It’s like you leave lighter. You don’t realise how much you’re carrying until it’s gone,” says Uddin.
Watching the crowd, Kira notices who the event seems to speak most clearly to. Though not Muslim herself, she observes the power of their participation: “That demographic of people typically are the ones silenced the most. And then they come out today and reclaim space by screaming, it’s powerful,” she says.
“I just think there’s so much that we can get out of clubs like this, and people need to keep pushing for community rather than isolating themselves,” Sharif adds. “As much as this is an amazing outlet, its essence is community. I genuinely believe that community is the only way we can heal a lot of our problems in the world.”
Building on that principle, she hopes to expand the concept, planning more inclusive events that give people the simple luxury of being heard.
Source: hyphenonline.com
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/10/24/viral-scream-squad-club-muslim-women-finding-freedom-london/
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UK Envoy Urges Inclusive Government, Women’s Rights in Talks with Kabul Authorities
By Fidel Rahmati
October 25, 2025
UK envoy Richard Lindsay urged Kabul to ensure inclusive governance, protect women’s rights, and engage constructively in UN-led diplomatic efforts during talks.
The United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay, said he emphasized the need for an inclusive government during meetings with officials in Kabul. His visit follows renewed international engagement efforts focused on stability and governance in Afghanistan.
Lindsay stated that he pressed Kabul authorities to participate constructively in the UN-led Doha process. He raised concerns about restrictions on women, girls, and religious and ethnic minorities under current policies.
The British envoy described regional stability as a key priority. He said discussions included the importance of de-escalating tensions along Afghanistan’s borders and pursuing sustainable solutions through dialogue.
During his trip, Lindsay met senior officials responsible for foreign affairs, public health, refugees, and disaster management. He highlighted the need to safeguard humanitarian access and maintain essential services across the country.
He also discussed internet access, urging authorities to lift or review restrictions that disrupt vital services and isolate vulnerable communities. He stressed that protecting connectivity is vital for aid delivery and social participation.
Lindsay wrote that the visit provided a constructive platform to address a wide range of critical issues. He reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting Afghan civilians, noting emergency assistance of four million pounds this year and up to 151 million pounds for humanitarian programmes.
He met with women activists and civil society representatives, examining how limits on women’s participation affect aid distribution and the broader humanitarian response. Observers say such engagement reflects continued pressure from Western nations for policy changes in Kabul.
Diplomats argue that meaningful progress on rights and political inclusion remains a prerequisite for deeper international recognition and cooperation. The envoy also welcomed the ceasefire understanding between Islamabad and Kabul, portraying it as a necessary step toward regional calm.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/uk-envoy-urges-inclusive-government-womens-rights-in-talks-with-kabul-authorities/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-leader-hijab-crackdown-daughter/d/137389