Iran to 'Firmly Punish' Women Breaking Hijab Law
Following four months of protests, Iran's judiciary has decreed that women violating the hijab policy be "firmly punished" by police.
Facts
- Following four months of protests, Iran's judiciary has decreed that women violating the hijab policy be "firmly punished" by police.
- Since the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old ethnic Kurd arrested in Tehran for allegedly failing to adhere to hijab laws, protests against the measures have swept the country.
- The Iranian prosecutor general's office has issued new guidance asking the police to refrain from arresting women who break the country's dress code but rather impose penalties upon them. Authorities have stated they would use new surveillance technology to enforce the law, and institutions that allow women to enter without wearing hijabs will also face fines.
- Mahsa Alimardani, a researcher on freedom of expression at the University of Oxford, has alleged that the Iranian government may be already using facial recognition technology to cite women for violating hijab laws despite never interacting with law enforcement officials.
- The news comes as a close aide of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Mohammed-Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, has stated that women breaking the mandatory hijab law were at fault for the "lack of precipitation across the country." Iranian authorities confirmed two weeks ago that over 270 cities and towns are suffering from an acute water crisis.
Sources: Arab News, Wall Street Journal, Voi, and Firstpost.
Narratives
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by HRW. The demands for fundamental changes to the freedoms of women in Iraq despite widespread government repression must be heard. Authorities, both in Iran and around the world, must listen to their cries against discrimination. There is no place for such sexist oppression in the world today.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by IRNA. The current unrest in Iran is the product of perilous plots hatched in the West. Contrary to much Western propaganda, Islam and the Shia sect respect and protect women. The wearing of a hijab should not be disrespected by the West, which attempts to undermine the important position of women in the holy religion and in Iran.
