Judiciary: Executive agencies have done little in the field of hijab
The guidance patrol has gone underground to monitor women's appearance in the subway, and the police are announcing a special plan to combat "improper hijab." However, judicial authorities are complaining about the inaction and violations of the executive agencies in the issue of "hijab and chastity."
As protests against the compulsory hijab spread in Iranian cities, officials in the judiciary have resorted to making threats and insinuations. This time, the target of the reprimands and reprimands are not citizens, but rather administrative and government agencies. The judiciary is reminding these agencies of the decisions of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and drawing a line for their negligence in implementing these decisions.
Gholamhossein Esmaili, a spokesman for the judiciary, said: "All our efforts are focused on improving the status of chastity and veiling among the public, both as a religious issue and a legal obligation. The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has passed resolutions in the field of chastity and veiling in various years and has approved duties for various government departments that are mandatory, but the initial assessment indicates that most of the 26 agencies did not fulfill their missions well."
He considered it the duty of these agencies to review the resolutions of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and implement the assigned missions, adding: "Perhaps new managers have come and are not aware of these duties." The Judiciary Spokesperson announced that the General Inspection Organization of the country has been assigned a mission to examine the performance of these agencies.
The police force, the Ministry of Cultural Guidance, the Ministry of Interior, and the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation are among the agencies that have responsibilities in the areas of following up, promoting, or dealing with the issue of the hijab.
Warning to “violating devices”
Esmaili's remarks follow those of Gholamreza Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy head of the judiciary. Ejei has said in a more harsh tone that the resolutions of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution are like law and that any institution that fails to fulfill its duties will be dealt with: "All institutions must fulfill their duties and the Inspector General of the country must also take action against this resolution, which is like law. In this process, they must first warn the violators and then introduce the violators."
The deputy and spokesperson for the judiciary have warned government agencies while the police send warning text messages to owners of cars whose occupants are “intentionally not wearing a hijab” and eventually impound the car. The Guidance Patrol has also now gone from above ground to underground to monitor the appearance of girls and women in metro stations. Alongside the Guidance Patrol, groups called “Amer beh Ma’ruf” (Instruction to be Good) are issuing warnings and advisory banners have also been installed in the metro asking female passengers to enter the metro wearing a hijab.
At the same time, Hossein Rahimi, the capital’s police chief, says the police have a special plan in place for the Tehran metro. The police force is among the agencies targeted by the Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution’s “Hijab and Chastity” plan. Rahimi told Fars News Agency: “Those who promote improper hijab in the metro and deliberately and purposefully violate the norms will be dealt with severely.”
Mahmoud Mirlohi, a member of the Tehran City Council, says: "I didn't go into too much detail, but I know it has nothing to do with the metro and its management. These things happen sometimes. For example, such incidents can happen in stadiums. In the summer, such discussions are raised. Of course, we return to the previous point and recently most of the institutions are convinced that dealing with issues like this, considering everything to be related to women and having a masculine view of women's issues, chastity, hijab, and a mechanical view, and dealing with police officers is not the solution."
“Hijab and Chastity” Project
The Hijab and Chastity Plan was approved by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution in the winter of 2005, and has made confronting the increasing trend of “bad hijab” a priority for the country’s executive agencies. “Reviving and promoting the good tradition of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong” is one of the points emphasized in this plan.
The call for the judiciary to mobilize various agencies to monitor the clothing of women and girls in society comes at a time when the Islamic Ethical Court has sentenced three women's movement activists to prison for removing their headscarves on the subway and distributing flowers to women on International Women's Day. Yasman Aryani, Munireh Arabshahi, and Mojgan Keshavarz have each been sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of "providing the conditions for corruption and prostitution."
The head of Tehran's Revolutionary Courts has threatened that sending the film about "Discovering the Hijab" abroad will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Headquarters for the Restoration of Virtue has also accused Masih Alinejad, the organizer of the "White Wednesdays" campaign, of collaborating with a hostile country and has warned citizens that sending the film to the enemy is considered a crime.
The criminalization of protests against the mandatory hijab in Iran has been repeatedly condemned by human rights organizations. At least eight people are currently in prison for supporting the White Wednesdays campaign, facing charges including “promoting prostitution and corruption,” “propaganda against the system,” and “acting against national security.”
Source: DW
