Deputy Judiciary: Women riding motorcycles and riding saddles in general is abhorrent

Referring to women riding camels during the time of the Prophet of Islam, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic's Judiciary has said that riding motorcycles and "riding saddles" in general for women has no "Islamic objections" but is "repulsive." He considered the condition for women to ride motorcycles to be "observing chastity."

Hadi Sadeghi, the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has stated on the legality or otherwise of women riding motorcycles that this practice "has no religious objections" and at the same time considers it "repulsive" and requires observance of "chastity and hijab."

Regarding the recent ruling of the Administrative Court of Justice on the legality of issuing motorcycle licenses to women, and in other words, the unhindered nature of women's motorcycle riding, he said that this ruling will probably be rejected because: "In Islamic culture, riding a saddle is disliked for women, but it is not forbidden. On the other hand, women are ordered to appear in public with complete modesty and hijab. There is no religious objection to riding a motorcycle, but from the perspective of modesty and hijab, riding a motorcycle may cause women's hijab to be less observed."

He also pointed to a note that only allows the issuance of licenses to men: "Article 20 of the Traffic Violations Law states that the laws that apply to passenger cars also apply to motorcyclists, but this article contains a note that the traffic department is obligated to issue motorcycle driving licenses only to men, so based on this law, issuing licenses to non-men is not permitted."

According to what the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Judiciary has proposed, the decision on this matter will ultimately be postponed to a future when both this note has been removed and motorcycles that do not "overturn easily" enter the Iranian market. Motorcycles that, according to him, are "easy to sit on" and "have higher safety, chastity, and veil."

According to his words regarding women's motorcycling, "If the law is changed or amended later, there is no problem with using this vehicle" and "the government has a duty to create easy conditions for women."

The debate over whether or not it is legal to issue motorcycle licenses to women has flared up again in recent days. The story began with a complaint from a woman in Isfahan. She, who wanted a motorcycle license, sued the Naja police for refusing to issue her a license. The Administrative Court of Justice ruled in her favor, but the traffic police have said in response that the police are only responsible for issuing licenses to men and are not responsible for such matters.

The ruling of Branch 31 of the Administrative Court of Justice states that driving for women, whether driving light and heavy vehicles or motorcycles or other vehicles, is not prohibited in any regulation.

The Deputy Chief of the Judiciary provided many explanations in his lengthy statement without helping to solve the problem of women traveling in heavy traffic in cities.

Source: DW