A government councilwoman has been banned from public office in Iran after religious conservatives protested her looks, with one official calling her a “catwalk model.”
Nina Siakhali Moradi, 27, received more than 10,000 votes in a June election to win a council seat in the Qazvin city council, The Times of London reports.
In campaign posters, Moradi was pictured wearing a hijab, which covers her hair, but not a face veil. Her hands are also shown. Using the campaign slogan “Young ideas for a young future,” she pushed for greater women’s rights in Qazvin and more youth involvement in city politics.
However, a coalition of religious groups wrote to Qazvin’s governor and called the posters “vulgar and anti-religious,” claiming they breached Islamic law.
“We don't want a catwalk model on the council,” one senior official in Qazvin – who was not named – said to local reporters.
Moradi was ultimately disqualified from office for failing to observe Islamic norms, The Times of London reports.
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