An Iranian police officer speaks with a woman after she was detained over "inappropriate" clothes during a crackdown to enforce the dress code in Tehran. AFP
An Iranian police officer speaks with a woman after she was detained over "inappropriate" clothes during a crackdown to enforce the dress code in Tehran. AFP
An Iranian police officer speaks with a woman after she was detained over "inappropriate" clothes during a crackdown to enforce the dress code in Tehran. AFP
An Iranian police officer speaks with a woman after she was detained over "inappropriate" clothes during a crackdown to enforce the dress code in Tehran. AFP

Iranian women use phone app Gershad to evade morality police


Holly Johnston
  • English
  • Arabic

When Elnaz still lived in Iran, the daily presence of morality police amplified her desire to leave.

She was once apprehended in a park in Tehran by the morality police, who said her daughter, then six, should be wearing a hijab.

Women have been barred from universities and unable to access basic services as Tehran ups its surveillance of protesters, women and girls going about their daily lives without the hijab – a gesture that carries significant risk.

That is why tens of thousands of women are now using a mobile phone app called Gershad, which allows users to mark morality police locations on a map and inform other women where they may be stopped and checked.

The app was set up in 2016 by a group of Iranian activists. Following protests last autumn, it was updated to also show the location of security forces cracking down on demonstrators. More than 500 people have been killed since the demonstrations started, according to human rights groups.

“It was immediately banned upon its release,” the app's manager, a human-rights activist in exile, told The National, with users resorting to costly VPNs to utilise the application.

“Non-profit projects usually don't get much attention, but after it was launched, it was so popular that the government started spamming and attacking the app,” she said.

Protesters start a fire as they clash with police during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini. EPA
Protesters start a fire as they clash with police during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini. EPA

“I love Iran. Iran is so beautiful, but I don't want my daughter to grow up in that country, in that culture,” Elnaz told The National from Canada.

“You can't have a relationship. If you walk with a boy and the morality police see you, you'll go to prison.”

App users can report the location of morality police and security forces and also the harassment they faced.

“There are a lot of different tools, you have the location, you have the type of the report, and users have the option of adding what happened,” the app's manager said.

One woman said she was kicked out of a laptop repair shop in Isfahan for not wearing the hijab, while another said she was prevented from visiting her father’s grave for the same reason.

Those detained by morality police and Iranian intelligence have been tortured and even killed.

In September 2022, Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police, sparking the biggest protests in decades. While women had previously flouted the dress code, her death has encouraged more to do so.

A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in Istanbul in September 2022. AFP
A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in Istanbul in September 2022. AFP

Some others have used the app to share their motivation to defy authorities, which order women to wear loose clothing in public.

“Today, I overcame my fear and wore a T-shirt. Between the smiles and angry looks and the woman who told me she will go out without a long coat tomorrow, my motivation has increased a hundred-fold.”

On Wednesday, government vehicles drove through the streets of several cities as part of a “hijab and chastity” convoy. Loudspeakers warned women to wear hijab or face legal consequences, part of the growing threat from Tehran.

“What they tell us is that they don’t want to run away,” said Gershad staff.

“They want us to tell them ‘here is the police – go and attack them’ and we can’t do that.”

The government has “completely changed” its tactics in enforcing Iran’s dress code, they said, using civilians who support the regime to report women on the street.

“These are not officers, these are not police, these are normal citizens, but they support the government, which tells them ‘OK, I give you a walkie-talkie, I'll give you this application, you can go and take pictures'.”

'Worse than North Korea'

In the conservative city of Tabriz, women have reported being barred from banks, schools and health clinics for not wearing the hijab, Gershad staff said, adding they have similar reports from 12 cities nationwide.

“I'm a man, but I've seen women in morality police vans. Just being arrested for wearing shorter skirts or leaving some of their hair out of their scarves. I felt ashamed that I couldn't rescue them,” Arash, 30, told The National from Tehran.

“The mandatory hijab rule is a big deal … but it was just a trigger. Morality police were present during all these years and they've done pretty harsh things before the killing of Mahsa Amini.

“You don't see traditional morality police forces. Now they send secret police forces to scare women by taking photos of them and verbally threatening them … you don't see traditional vans on the streets.

“It's the state of terror.”

Iranians protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police in October 2022. AP
Iranians protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police in October 2022. AP

Iranian authorities have threatened to prosecute women pictured without a hijab in their cars, installing cameras to survey travellers, complicating Gershad's efforts to alert hijab checks.

Gershad staff told The National that the morality police have a shift pattern and “we know that they're staying in one place for six hours and then they are going home. But with cameras is not like that. We need to find the correct algorithm.”

Elnaz said her sister was apprehended by the morality police while pregnant and held for two days for not wearing a long coat.

“She said she wanted to go home and was kicked in the stomach.”

“In Iran, everything belongs to men. When you don't have the hijab, you can't go to the doctor, you can't go anywhere. You're not allowed to be alive, you just go to prison.

“Everything is hidden, the government cut off the internet and the world doesn't know what's happening.

“It’s worse than North Korea.”

The specs

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre

Power: 325hp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh189,700

On sale: now

Results

2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar

3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar

4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash

4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash

5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

RESULT

Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: McLaren 600LT

Price, base: Dh914,000

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm

Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm

Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Updated: July 13, 2023, 6:36 AM