Syrian film star Sulaf Fawakherji reflects on her experience in Iran, recounting an early memory of hijab being ridiculed in Damascus and contrasting it with the cultural diversity she observed in Iran — emphasizing that respecting another country’s culture and laws does not limit freedom, but enriches it.
A Personal Journey Through Cultural Respect
Renowned Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakherji, known for her role in the film Land of the Angels and her appearance at the 44th Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran, shared a personal essay about her impressions of Iran’s cultural landscape and her thoughts on hijab and personal freedom.
In her note, Fawakherji recalls an early experience in an old Damascus home, now a restaurant, where she and colleagues gathered for dinner. Among them was a respected director admired for his revolutionary spirit and dedication to freedom — until, she says, he loudly mocked women who wore hijab, calling it backward. Shocked, Fawakherji questioned how someone who demands freedom for themselves could deny freedom of dress and belief to others.
She wrote that although she still valued his talent, some of her respect for him diminished — noting that love is an emotion, but respect is a deeper, lasting value.
Respecting Culture Without Reducing Freedom
Looking back years later, Fawakherji connected that memory to her recent experience in Iran. She explained that, out of respect for Iranian laws and customs, she brought appropriate headscarves to wear during her visit — something she does in every country she travels to — and emphasized that respect complements freedom rather than limiting it.
In Iran, she saw a wide range of styles: from full black chadors and traditional hijab to partial head coverings and women without scarves in streets and restaurants. She described Iranian society as diverse — including Muslims of different sects, Christians, Armenians, Arabs, Kurds, Jews, secular individuals, and nonbelievers — and said she felt mutual care among people despite their differences.
Fawakherji stated that politics and systems are internal matters for each society, but what mattered to her was humanity, civilization, art, cinema, and the ethics she witnessed, which she described as beautiful.
A Choice to Respect and Learn
Addressing critics who focused on whether she wore a hijab, Fawakherji said no one forced her to do anything in Iran, nor would they — and that her choice to show respect was hers. She called herself an actor who loves to explore other cultures and wear their clothes out of understanding and affection.
She mentioned that, through her career, she has worn traditional clothing from various countries — Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Omani, Tunisian, Algerian, Sudanese, Moroccan, Iraqi Kurdish, and Emirati and Saudi abayas — and now Iranian styles too. She said she would continue to take pride in every culture she visits.
In closing, Fawakherji shared that her upbringing taught her to respect people’s differences, and she learned that the beauty of the world lies in its diversity, not uniformity — that perfect symmetry may be comfortable, but it’s the differences that give the world its soul.
From: SNN