Penned by Mahnaz Afkhami, this article concentrates on Reza Shah Pahlavi’s January 1936 decree on banning women from wearing veils. In her opinion, Reza Shah’s “courageous” decision was “a fundamental step in building a developed and civilized society based on freedom and equality of human beings.” It is no wonder that Rouhollah Khomeini considered unveiling the “most destructive” measure of Reza Shah; Khomeini “very well knew that unveiling dealt a heavy blow to the roots of a patriarchal system,” writes Afkhami.