farsizaban:

Typical Hijab used by Iranian Girls

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, government requires women to cover their hair.

I didn’t reblog this image yesterday, and I came back to it several times, and I came back to it again today and I realized finally why it kept drawing me back (apart from that she’s cute as a button and it’s a good photo): It’s the combination of elements - hijab, messenger bag, jeans, and sneakers.

We in the US are not taught that this combination is allowed to exist. We are taught that if one wears the hijab then one must wear only somber robes and be colorless and medieval; conversely, we are taught that if you are wearing jeans and sneakers, and you are nonetheless wearing a head covering, something is wrong with you.

I’m not defending official policies on women in Iran. (And politics are not permitted in this Tumblr.) In fact I find them appalling. But this young woman is doing the best she can with what she has. She is attempting to fill a niche we don’t comprehend here yet, and moreover, attempting to do it with some kind of style.

She’s the future. Or, rather, I should say, she’s a future. There are other ones. I like some of them better, but I like most of them a lot less.