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Iranian Candidate’s Wife An Electoral Asset

Hamideh Moravvej, wife of reformist presidential candidate Mohammad Reza Aref, is pushing boundaries in her frequent campaign appearances and style of dress.
Iranian former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref flashes the sign of victory as he registers his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election at the interior ministry in Tehran on May 10, 2013. Iran began a five-day registration period for candidates in Iran's June 14 presidential election, with a string of conservative hopefuls in the running but with key reformists yet to come forward, media reports said. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE        (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Among Iranian president candidates, Mohammad Reza Aref stands out as the lone reformist and the one contender who regularly appears at campaign events accompanied by his wife, Hamideh Moravvej. She has attracted Iranian media attention for standing "un-Islamically" close to her husband, waving at supporters like the wife of a Western politician and wearing shiny, silver-colored clothing that some in North Tehran have dubbed “disco ball,” for the 1970s dance floor ornament.

Moravvej also wears sneakers, and her manteau — the religiously required tunic or cloak for women in Iran — is a tad clingier and shorter than recommended. Moreover, she does not wear a chador, the black, all-enveloping tent-like robe favored by traditional religious women and the wives of more conservative candidates. 

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