Vice police have been ordering women to comply with a law making the veil obligatory

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The #MyCameraIsMyWeapon movement emerged in Iran where the Gasht-e-Ershad vice police have been ordering women to comply with a law making the veil obligatory which was introduced by the Islamic Republic in 1979. The #MyCameraIsMyWeapon movement was launched by journalist and activist Masih Alinejad – who currently lives in New York City. She is encouraging Iranian women to film scenes of daily life where they are sexually harassed, assaulted or arrested for not wearing the veil - and then publish their videos on social networks. In a series of online videos Ms Alinejad says even without the debate about sexism and female oppression the Islamic government – which s battling an economic crisis - is wasting huge amounts of money paying the vice police.

Some of her videos show women the vice police consider ‘badly veiled’ or immodestly dressed assaulted and thrown to the ground. Ms Alinejad has been fighting for women’s rights in Iran – especially against wearing the mandatory veil - since she was a teenager. She went to prison, and had to flee her country before going into exile in London. The success of her campaign however has turned her family against her and family members have appeared on TV to denounce her. Ms Alinejad said: “At first, tears rolled down my eyes when the program began.

Journalist and activist Masih Alinejad

The program has torn our family apart. My parents have so far resisted all the pressures to take part in any propaganda programs against me. My mother is still under pressure. journalist and activist Masih Alinejad