In recent days, a religious festival titled “Taje Zirin” (Lower Crown) was held in the city of Baneh, Kurdistan Province, which has raised human rights concerns due to its promotion of extremist Islamic symbols.
According to investigations by the Hana Human Rights Organization, the event was attended by around 700 women, some of whom were under the age of 18. The organizers of the ceremony stated that the purpose of the festival was to promote the concept of “hijab.”
Based on observations, the festival promoted a specific model of hijab that has no historical precedent in the traditional clothing of women in Kurdistan.
What has caused the greatest human rights concern is the participation of children in this ceremony, where they were made to wear this particular style of hijab—an act that undermines children’s freedom of choice and expression.
The use of public spaces and the coercion of children to adopt such a specific dress code constitutes a violation of their fundamental rights, particularly the right to free choice.
It is worth noting that while the security authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kurdistan heavily monitor all civil, political, and cultural activities—and political and civil activists are routinely targeted through fabricated judicial cases—events of this kind are held with the approval of security officials and without any restrictions.
The Hana Human Rights Organization expresses deep concern over the violation of children’s fundamental rights during this religious festival and warns against the state’s role in promoting and imposing extremist interpretations of Islam in Kurdistan.