Iranian police Tuesday intensified their crackdown on social vices, issuing stern warnings to "un-Islamic" women who smoke in public, show their hair, wear make-up and buy lingerie from male salesmen.
"Providing service to women [in public places] who do not fully respect the Islamic head and dress wear is forbidden," said a statement from the police published in the centrist Entekhab paper.
It said the owners of restaurants and cafes -- which could no longer call themselves "coffee shops" in English -- were obligated to bar such women from entering.
Entekhab reported Tuesday that police had closed numerous cafes and shops Sunday in Tehran, the nation's 10-million strong capital.
"If women smoke in public it will be considered a crime," the directive said, adding that "the wearing of tight clothing, showing hair or using make-up by female employees or directors in public places is forbidden."
In addition, "the sale of lingerie by a salesman to a single woman is prohibited."
The police also repeated previous strictures on perceived symbols of Western corruption and decadence, following an earlier move to clean up society in August.
These included the sale, distribution and production of any clothing, carpet or image carrying the image of "Western actors and singers and actors from the pre-revolutionary era."
The sale or presentation of "images of women without a veil or half-dressed, images with indecent poses, images of women and men making music, pictures of a man or women next to each other or in each others' arms," are also forbidden.
The print or display of "Latin sentences and words carrying ugly meanings, images of immoral groups such as homosexuals, the Playboy rabbit, and rap" on products or in shops have equally been banned.
Male directors or employees in public places have once again been warned against wearing neckties or ribbons -- considered by many conservatives to be symbols of Western "perversion" -- while shops have been prohibited from putting such accessories on display.
"Police forces on Sunday closed down a number of coffee shops in Tehran. Six of them were closed in Vali Asr street while a shop, an internet cafe, and a photocopy shop were [also] closed," the daily said.
Police ordered the closures because of the "lack of light in the coffee shops, and the presence of young girls and boys," it said, adding that many of the girls were smoking.
Cafe and restaurant owners were ordered to provide "sufficient light and not allow youths who are not married to enter," the paper said.
Police renewed a ban on broadcasting illegal western music in shops, parks, and other centers, and also barred the "loud" playing of legal music.
Shops were once again warned not to display "lingerie", while the use of female mannequins in shop windows is forbidden "if their body outline is visible."
Police also recalled that the possession or sale of holding or selling dogs, monkeys or pigs, considered impure by Islam, was forbidden.
In August, police launched a massive crackdown on social vices, entering shops and demanding that all "indecent" products be removed from the windows.
Shop owners received a warning from police that they must remove all signs of "indecency," "depravity," and Western culture from their store windows, and were forced to remove dummies sporting lingerie or swim-wear, while cafes and restaurants were barred from airing Western music -- TEHRAN (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
