Prominent Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning film “The Salesman,” was released on bail Wednesday after nearly three weeks in jail for criticizing a crackdown on anti-government protests.
Alidoosti was among several Iranian celebrities to express support for the nationwide protests and criticize the authorities’ violent clampdown. Since September, women across Iran have been defying strict hijab rules amid the demonstrations, the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.
The hijab, or head covering that women are required by law to wear, remains a potent symbol and rallying cry for the movement. Abbas Milani, the director of Iranian studies at Stanford University, believes that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is aware of the power of the issue. While his comments were vague and did not promise to change the existing laws, they were a recognition of how potent the issue of the hijab remains.
The protests have morphed into a broad-based demand for change, and Milani believes that Rouhani is trying to convince the diminishing diehard supporters that the game is not up. Alidoosti’s release on bail is a sign that the authorities are aware of the power of the movement and the importance of the hijab as a symbol.
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