Water pistols are now a big crime in Islamic Rep.

In just this past week, police in Bandar Abbas in the far south and Tehran in the far north have rounded up bands of students for enjoying themselves with sprays of water.

In Bandar Abbas, Hormuz-gan province justice chief Ali Alia told the media that water fights were haram (forbidden) under Islam.

He said, “Seventeen boys and girls who were squirting water at each other were arrested Friday in one of the beach parks. He said five were swiftly released and the others were eventually bailed out but now face charges of committing a forbidden act as well as insulting police officers. He didn’t make clear where in the criminal code water fights are described as a crime.

The previous Friday in Tehran, hundreds of youths, both male and female, joined in a massive water battle at Ab o Atesh (Water and Fire) Park. That large gathering was organized over Facebook and through text messages.

The police ether missed or ignored this event. But officials and the conservative media learned all about it when participants posted photos and stories on Facebook. What seemed especially offensive was that many of the women participating had soaked clothing that clung to their flesh and revealed their body shape.

Police later said they had tracked down and arrested 10 of the Tehran participants based on photographs posted on the Internet.

General Ahmad Ruzbahani, head of the national morality police, warned in a television program that the police “will act forcefully against this type of action and will not allow such events to happen in public places—or anywhere throughout the country.” He said the young people “acted against social norms” and complained about “a mixed gender event.”

Majlis Deputy Musa Gha-zanfarabadi said the organizers of the Tehran water battle were trying to distance young people from Islamic principles and the values of the Islamic Republic.

The hardline Rajanews website accused Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, a rival of President Ahmadi-nejad, of organizing the Tehran water fight. Hamshahri, the daily run by the municipality of Tehran, accused Rajanews of an outright lie and said Qalibaf had nothing to do with the water fight.