
Mitra Hamedi, 19, and Akram Khayrabadi, 20; art students the Islamic Azad University of Sabzevar, NE Iran.
MH: “Women in Iran today have a much greater role in society than ever before. Women now compose about 60% of university students. I think that says a lot. We’re allowed to do more things than ever before.
MH: “It depends how you define freedom. If by freedom you mean being able to go into the street in anything I willy-nilly feel like, yes, by that definition we are limited.
“But what a crazy thing to define freedom as pertaining to choice of clothing. What you wear shouldn’t even be considered in a discussion on freedom. I think freedom is about a person’s ability to reach his or her highest potential.
AK: “They think hejab limits the woman. But in fact in the work sector it is very helpful. If you have to come to work everyday in a different color [of dress] and worry about how to decorate yourself, that takes so much time and concentration. It’s nice not to worry about that.
“Also hejab protects one from the licentious eyes. I find that very comforting.
“I choose hejab because I have thought about it carefully and I want it. I think it is problematic if one just does it out of tradition and doesn’t think about why she does it.
AK: “That way of thinking might work elsewhere. But I think one has to care about what her appearance does to others in the street. I think we are responsible for how our presence might harm another person.
AK: “Yes. A professor of mine gave us a great metaphor. Going in the street without proper covering is like going around swinging a knife and then saying, ‘I’m not responsible if this hits you because I’m just swinging it; I didn’t intend to hit you.’”
MH: “I’m not saying our country doesn’t have problems. A lot of attitudes need to be changed.
“I ask you, why in China people go everywhere on their bikes—it is economical, good for the environment and it’s great exercise—and in my country an office worker or even college students say, ‘riding a bike is beneath me.’?”