A new video of a woman dancing in Tehran's subway has gone viral, but not for reasons you may think. The act of dancing in this video isn't just subversive because it's an unconventional and brave thing to do on a subway. It's subversive because it's literally illegal.
Irani law prohibits dancing in public and also prohibits women from appearing in public without their heads covered. The young woman in the video breaks both bans, her actions serving as a protest against these strict laws. The video was posted on the Facebook page My Stealthy Freedom, a forum for women to upload videos of themselves without the compulsory headscarf, and it has over 200,000 views. Not only are the actions of the woman in the video brave because they seek to dismantle unjust and oppressive laws, but also because when the video of Irani youth dancing to Pharrell's "Happy" went viral, eight people when to jail for their participation.
It is likely that, despite the consequences that could come of it, videos like this will continue to circulate. Thanks to social media and recording technology, it's possible to easily spread messages with a relatively low rate of persecution by remaining anonymous, blurring out faces, etc. while still making a strong case and sending out a strong message to ignite revolution. So much power to this woman and Irani youths fighting for their rights to express happiness and individuality in public.
Check out the video below:
