BAGHDAD — On Oct. 28, the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research made a decision to impose uniforms on university campuses in Iraq. The media reported that the uniform's specifications are “conservative,” since female students are required to wear a “loose, below-the-knee skirt and shoes with heels that are no more than 5 centimeters [2 inches] high, while pants are strictly prohibited for female students.”

However, the vast uproar raised by the uniform requirements prompted the ministry to issue a clarification Oct. 30, stressing that “uniform rules should be strictly applied, but each university administration can determine the specifications of its uniform.” As a result, universities displayed written instructions at the entrances to many colleges and institutes.

Rusul Salah, a student at the University of Babylon, told Al-Monitor, “These instructions existed long before the Ministry of Higher Education made the decision to impose a uniform. Some individuals affiliated with conservative parties incited the university’s administration to adopt conservative uniforms and prevent students from imitating how students in Western countries dress.”

Salah’s belief that the call for conservative uniforms existed in the past is true. In March 2014, activists and university students criticized the Ministry of Education and the administration of the University of Kufa for imposing strict measures against “students wearing accessories,” describing the decision as “personal interpretation.” In December 2014, students organized protests to reject the ministry's resolution out of a belief that uniforms restricted their freedom.