Religious minority leaders in Iran support chastity and hijab laws

Leaders of religious minorities and their representatives in parliament supported the chastity and hijab law.

The support of religious minority leaders in the parliament for the chastity and veil law has been met with widespread reactions. The implementation of the chastity and veil law in the Islamic Consultative Assembly has long been a challenge and there have been many side effects surrounding it. These side effects have also extended to the leaders of religious minorities who represent minorities in the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

On Tuesday, March 5, a letter was sent from Isfahan MP Amir Hossein Bankipour to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, calling for the immediate promulgation of the hijab law to defend the dignity of Iranian women. The sending of this letter indicates that the parliamentarians are determined to pass this law as soon as possible, a law in which individual and social rights and freedoms have not only been trampled upon but have also been called into question.

But the issue that has caused many reactions is the signatures of "Geghard Mansourian", a representative of Armenian Christians, and "Behshid Bakhard", a representative of Zoroastrians, who are leaders of religious minorities, are also included in this letter. Behshid Bakhard stated in a message that "covering is a fact of Zoroastrian culture in Iran."

Also, Geghard Mansourian's signature and approval of the Chastity and Hijab Law, while many Armenians and other religious minorities were forced to emigrate due to these same pressures. This law was perceived as a cultural and religious imposition for those who have their own beliefs and culture, and it created a sense of insecurity and dissatisfaction among them, and many Armenians were forced to leave their homeland due to these pressures.

But here is the question! A law that has always faced a lot of criticism from the public and even from believers in Islamic principles after its approval by the Guardian Council. Did representatives of minorities support the passage of such a law of their own free will, despite the violation of their rights in Iran, or were they forced to obey and support the Iranian government under the influence of political pressure or personal interests?

After 46 years, the authorities of the Islamic Republic continue to impose compulsory hijab on Iranian women and even religious minorities in the name of religion and Sharia; an issue that has even transcended religion and taken on a security, political, and social dimension. This issue has also become a symbol of the civil and social resistance of the people in Iran to overcome the Islamic Republic's system.