Women cartoon figures in Iranian TV must wear hijab: Iranian supreme leader

Iran to depict female characters in Iranian cartoons and animations with hijab. The new order issued this week by the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has stirred up heavy backlash upon the need for compulsory hijab for characters in animated features.

"Although wearing hijab in such a hypothetical situation is not required per se, observing hijab in animation is required due to the consequences of not wearing a hijab," answered Khamenei when he was asked by the Tasnim New agency about hijab requirement on animated characters.

"This isn't a joke! The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced women even in animations should wear hijab! Even female insects like bees have their hijabs on! Their obsession with the hair of female anything is toxic. These people are in power in Iran," tweeted Masih Alinejad, a journalist and an activist.

Iran has had mandated compulsory covering of head and neck and will be persecuted in case of violations. Authorities had confiscated a woman who was cycling without a veil last October, according to Daily Mail.

Human Rights Watch stated years ago that women's rights are severely restricted in Iran. Though several Iranian cinemas are hailed globally for their extraordinary videography and plots, Iran's censorship laws are said to be harsh and derail any proximate scenes of affection between male-female roles or anything that goes against the regimes.