Dying in Defense of Purity and Identity.
In July 1935, the sacred city of Mashhad was the scene of one of the bloodiest and most decisive episodes in modern Iranian history. A fateful clash between the despotism of the Pahlavi dynasty and the fierce resistance of the Shiite people, culminating in a massacre that still haunts Iran's collective memory.
In the 1930s, Iran was under the yoke of Reza Shah Pahlavi, a ruler historiography records as heavily influenced and manipulated by Western powers. His ambition was to radically overturn Iranian society, eradicating its traditions and imposing a model of forced secularism, similar to that initiated in neighboring Turkey by Mustafa Kemal.
The decree imposing European dress on men, coupled with the first signs of a forced removal of the veil for women, was seen not as a reform, but as an affront. This policy unleashed a deep wave of indignation among the faithful, bazaar traders, and religious leaders, determined to remain faithful to their Muslim identity and spiritual precepts.
The Voice of the Rebellion and the Peaceful Siege
Social tension reached breaking point when Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Behlol, through fiery and courageous orations, openly denounced the sovereign as an illegitimate despot, making himself the spokesperson of popular dissent.
The citizenry's reaction resulted in a massive peaceful demonstration inside the historic Goharshad Mosque, located in the heart of the revered shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad. Faced with the crowd's determination and the sacred nature of the site, the local police expressed strong resistance to the idea of forcibly violating the sacred perimeter.
The Desecration and the Massacre
The refusal of the local forces pushed the Shah to an extreme decision: to bring in external military regiments to Mashhad, in order to regain control with an iron fist. In mid-July, the army received the final and ruthless order to thin out the gathering.
The soldiers entered the mosque's courtyard and opened fire indiscriminately on the unarmed crowd. It was a veritable massacre: according to the most reliable historical accounts, there were hundreds—if not thousands—of victims. The bodies were hastily buried in mass graves, in a cynical attempt to conceal the true extent of the state repression.
This tragic event sealed an irreparable rift between the Shiite religious institutions and the tyrannical Pahlavi government. The memory of the blood shed in the holy sites of Mashhad left an indelible mark on the Iranian people, planting the seeds of an awareness that, decades later, would lead to the overthrow of the monarchy with the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Legacy: National Hijab and Chastity Day
Precisely in memory of that 12th July, and to honour the sacrifice of those who died to defend those ideals of chastity and purity that the Shah tried in vain to overturn, the Islamic Republic of Iran has established the National Hijab and Chastity Day.
Today, the goal of this holiday is to promote the Islamic values of purity and modesty. Through theological conferences, art exhibitions, public events, and educational programs, the day aims to explain and reaffirm the profound moral and social benefits of the veil and the Islamic dress code, considered fundamental pillars for the protection, harmony, and stability of the family and society as a whole.