Hey

I am going to Iran soon and have been wondering whether it is necessary to wear a headscarf under the helmet or if it is acceptable to put it on when you take your helmet off?
Can anyone answer this?

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Boy and Girl. RTW. 2 Suzuki DRZ 400s. http://handfulofthrottle.blogspot.com

I would personally recommend wearing your buff(r) or other kind of neck warmer over your head and under your helmet. I did this because
a) I thought I would forget...
B) In the end I didn't want to attract more attention!

the local men said its ok to remove your head scarf, but those are just the horny beggars waiting for a glimpse of a single hair strain.

You start out hating the scarf but leave completely comfortable with it. Just dont use a red one... try for dull or a black one.

AND make sure your top covers your ass and at least goes down to your elbows.

You will have fun and actually enjoy there clothing experience...

*to top it off, go on the subway in Tehran in the womens only section... thats awesome even in peak hours! *

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For more information on my adventures, please visit either of the following:
w.http://www.motomonkeyadventures.com/
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For your comfort, prefer always black (in color) and cotton..If you will be there in very hot weathers, silk is the best option.(not to harm your throat)
If you are interested for more inf.,here is a link.
Fashion and the treatment of women in Iran
As experienced marvellous friend Dan. says, keep your belly! covered.
Wish you all the best.

I'm in Iran now and apart from wearing the scarf under the helmet, for my own confort I also bought one "manto" (the dress with long sleves) so I don't have to check every 3 seconds if my back is showing...
Anyway, from my point of view the scarf is not the most annoying part of the hejab: comparing to the fact that women cannot touch any man beside the husband in public (not even to shake hands) the scarf is nothing..

Your right, the scarf is nothing... but actually I got to enjoy not shaking or touching any man - i then applied this to all Muslim countries i visited after that. ESPECIALLY when I didnt want to touch the man....

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For more information on my adventures, please visit either of the following:
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I've just spent 6 weeks in Iran after having ridden through India and Pakistan. During my time in various parts of the country I saw many Iranian women in brightly coloured headscarves (including red), as well as wearing jeans and less formal attire. Black is definitely not a requirement and only about 1/3 of the women we saw wore the hijab. Scarves, especially on young women were often way back on their heads with plenty of hair showing. Keep in mind that a good number of Iranians like elsewhere are not practicing moslems and therefore it was not uncommon for men to greet women with a handshake.

My wife for instance was frequently hugged, (might have to do with our age who knows), and we always felt comfortable. She was often on her own and had no problems. People treated us with respect and we did the same. We were invited into many Iranian homes, enjoyed wonderful hospitality and kindness and made many friends. Yes, there are certain cultural differences but they're not always as formal as some would have you believe. Follow your instincts, they're rarely wrong. If something doesn't feel right then it probably isn't.

I would recommend wearing a headscarf under your helmet only for the reason that it's easier than trying to put it on quickly when you remove your helmet if there's a crowd around you, and a foreigner on a bike does attract interest. Both my wife and I were approached constantly in the street by people wanting to know where we were from, what did we think of the country and offering help if we needed it. Yes, we were frequently stared at, but more in a curious way and most people returned a smile or offered a friendly greeting. Enjoy Iran, it's a beautiful country with wonderful people.

Ron