🗣Your answer to this question: “What did you feel the first time you went out without compulsory hijab?” — Thursday, 26 Shahrivar:

🔹For me, removing compulsory hijab didn’t bring the feeling of freedom I should have had. Because it was a reminder of the heavy price that thousands of young people paid to reach this day.

🔹I felt grateful to those who sacrificed their lives for us.

🔹I didn’t remove my hijab because it wasn’t my choice. But I enjoy it when I see our girls were brave and chose their own type of clothing—and how beautiful they are.

🔹The first time I went out without a headscarf was accompanied by the feeling of the wind in my hair, and especially on my neck, which always sweated under the scarf—because we live in a very, very hot city.

🔹I felt weightless and free, as if I were my real self.

🔹An older man gave me several branches of flowers and said, “We are the future of our Iran.” Uncle, you’re very good—wherever you are, may you be healthy.

🔹Because those men supported us and treated us respectfully, that unforgettable feeling didn’t fade.

🔹The first time I took off my scarf and let my hair down, I felt really good. I breathed. My heart fluttered a bit and I was afraid. Then I felt freedom. The wind hit my hair and I enjoyed it.

🔹In small cities like Firuzkuh, in those early days, removing the hijab was very difficult. In the beginning, my wife was bothered a lot by the judgmental looks from the people with those rigid, value-based attitudes, but now it has become normal.

🔹The first time I even didn’t have a scarf around my neck and went out completely without a headscarf and without fear—rain was coming. I had heard the news of Jina’s death. I gathered my hair as best I could on my head and walked around under the rain for two hours in the same home clothes, and I cried and sobbed “hai hai.”