Yaser Qorashi: The Iranian Red Crescent has violated the statutes of international aid organizations by promoting the hijab

An international relief and rescue activist says that the Iranian Red Crescent Society has violated the principle of neutrality in the statutes of international relief organizations by getting involved in issues such as promoting the hijab.

On Tuesday, April 13, the Secretary-General of the Red Crescent Society announced the aid organization's plans to "promote a culture of chastity and hijab" based on the organization's "voluntary wishes," and said that it needs "government funding" to implement major plans to promote the hijab.

Dr. Yaser Qorshi, a member of Doctors Without Borders, emphasized in an interview with the Persian service of Voice of America about this action by the Iranian Red Crescent Society that in addition to violating the statute of international aid organizations, this action will cause public distrust towards this organization, which receives the most aid from the people.

The organization, whose scope of work is defined as humanitarian aid, formed a working group last year entitled "Chastity and Hijab." Yaqoub Soleimani, the organization's secretary general, said in a meeting of the working group with representatives of the Ministry of Interior that the Red Crescent's activities regarding the hijab have been "organized" and that "we need to create a culture" about it.

Also, Mohammad Gulfashan, head of the youth organization and head of the "Chastity and Hijab Working Group" of the Red Crescent Society, announced that over the past year, in addition to forming this working group, he has also developed and communicated a manual for "spreading the culture of chastity and hijab."

In an interview with Voice of America, Yaser Qorashi emphasized the statute of international aid organizations regarding "neutrality": "Aid organizations must be completely neutral with respect to gender, religion, ethnic groups, and nationality of individuals, but with the procedure adopted by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, this clause of the statute has been practically violated."

Stating that the Red Crescent is not accountable to international higher-level institutions, he explains: "In the last few years, the government has planned in such a way that even professional institutions such as the medical system and the nursing system are not independent professional institutions from the government, and they approve and disqualify individuals, just like in parliamentary and presidential elections. Therefore, I think it is unlikely that there will be any protests from these institutions."