Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has raised concerns over a new law that intensifies penalties for women who choose not to wear the Islamic headscarf, commonly known as the hijab. The proposed legislation has fueled heated debates, especially in the wake of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman who died in police custody two years ago after being detained for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code, as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women in Iran have been legally required to cover their hair in public. However, the protest movement sparked by Amini’s death in September 2022 has emboldened more women to defy this mandate, frequently appearing in public without headscarves as a form of resistance.
The newly approved law, dubbed “Hijab and Chastity,” mandates harsher punishments for women who fail to adhere to the dress code. Final implementation of the law hinges on President Pezeshkian’s signature, expected on December 13.
Speaking on state television, President Pezeshkian expressed significant hesitation about the law. “As the person responsible for promulgating this law, I have many reservations about it,” he said during a televised interview.
The proposed legislation establishes punitive measures, including substantial fines for repeated violations. Women who fail to properly cover their hair in public spaces or on social media platforms could face fines equivalent to up to 20 times the average monthly salary. Those who do not pay the fines within the stipulated 10 days risk facing additional penalties, such as travel bans or restricted access to essential public services, including the issuance of driver’s licenses.
President Pezeshkian, who assumed office in July, openly warned of the potential societal fallout from enforcing such measures. “With this law, we risk losing a lot,” he cautioned.
During his election campaign, Pezeshkian promised to reform the role of the morality police, the same unit responsible for enforcing the hijab requirement and implicated in the detention of Mahsa Amini. The morality police have largely disappeared from public view since the onset of mass protests in 2022, but authorities have yet to officially disband the unit.
As a member of parliament at the time of Amini’s death, Pezeshkian was an outspoken critic of the police’s actions in her case. His current remarks underline his ongoing unease with strict enforcement measures, especially as the nation continues to grapple with the broader implications of personal freedom and societal norms.
Photo Credit: Illustrative photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/side-view-of-a-woman-wearing-headscarf-7676531/)
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