Masih Alinejad (pictured), who has led Iranian women's struggle against the head covering, said female dignitaries from Europe had left her fellow campaigners 'on their own' by choosing to wear it.
Iranian women's rights activist condemns Western feminists for wearing the hijab in 'solidarity', saying: 'Calling the compulsory headscarf my country's culture is INSULTING'
Masih Alinejad, who has spearheaded Iranian women's struggle against the head covering, said female dignitaries from Europe had left her fellow campaigners 'on their own' by choosing to wear the hijab when they visited Iran.
Rejecting the argument that visitors should wear the hijab out of 'respect for the culture of Iran', she said they were 'sending a message that men are more equal than women'.
Ms Alinejad, the founder of the White Wednesdays movement which saw many women remove their headscarves in protest, said she was battling against a 'discriminatory law'.
She said: 'Iranian women, they fight against the compulsory hijab and they are alone, they are on their own.
The issue was thrown into fresh focus last month when New Zealand women including PM Jacinda Ardern wore the headscarf in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.
Ms Alinejad said she admired Ms Ardern's 'compassion' for the Muslim community but said it 'broke her heart' to see her wearing the hijab.
'I also felt that you are using one of the most visible symbols of oppression for Muslim women in many countries for solidarity,' she said. Â Â Â
Her 'My Stealthy Freedom' movement is fighting Iran's Islamic law, which requires women to wear a headscarf and long clothes that cover the arms and legs.
The Islamic dress code, in place since the 1979 revolution, considers veiling obligatory for any female above 13 in Iran and says they should cover themselves from head to toe while disavowing any figure-hugging dress.
Breaking the rules can result in fines of up to 500,000 rials (ÂŁ17) and up to two months in prison.
Earlier this year Ms Alinejad shared footage which appeared to show Iranian an being sprayed in the face with tear gas after going outside without a hijab.
Iran arrested more than 7,000 people in 2018 after launching a wide-scale crackdown on protests during what is being called 'a year of shame' for the country.
