Iran’s Long Fight Over the Hijab. Interview with Mahtab Mahboub – 18 August 2026

The ‘Lines on a Map’ podcast focuses on current developments in the Middle East and every week speaks to a journalist writing for The Amargi.

In this episode, we’re looking at the history of compulsory hijab in Iran, from the first protests against it in 1979 to the crackdowns we’re seeing today. I’m joined by Mahtab Mahboub, a contributor to our Iran desk at The Amargi. We’ll trace how enforcement has changed over the decades, what really shifted after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and where this struggle stands now, with the new hijab law suspended but pressure on women and businesses continuing.

Host: Sushobhan Parida

Guest: Mahtab Mahboub

Audio Edit: Marta Lučić

The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”.

Except where noted otherwise, original writing and translations produced by the Left Renewal Blog Collective are published under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Republished and translated material remains subject to the licence and terms of its original publication.