Women in Iran are uploading videos of themselves riding their bikes in defiance of new fatwa that bans female cycling for “contravening women’s chastity”.
Days ago the supreme leader of Iran Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa — a legal ruling handed down by an Islamic religious leader — prohibiting women from riding a bike in a public place.
“Riding a bicycle often attracts the attention of men and exposes the society to corruption, and thus contravenes women’s chastity, and it must be abandoned,” Mr Khamenei told state media.
But some women are refusing to surrender to the ruling and are encouraging others to take a stand too.
“Bicycle riding is part of our lives,” said a young girl in a video where she and her mother rode around Kish Island on the day of the declaration.
As soon as they heard about the fatwa, the pair said they rented two bicycles “to say we’re not giving up”.
“It’s our absolute right and we’re not going to give up.”
The day after the announcement another Iranian woman posted a video of her cycling just after she finished a ride accompanied by men.
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