Iran passes new hijab law amid growing opposition from women – DW – 12/03/2024

Iran’s parliament has passed the so-called Hijab and Chastity Law, which requires women to wear the hijab and introduces strict penalties for those who don’t.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, women in Iran have been required to cover their hair in public.

However, more and more people are choosing not to wear a headscarf, especially since the 2022 death in police custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini.

The 22-year-old was arrested by Iranian moral police for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code.

Amini’s death sparked widespread protests, largely led by women and schoolgirls, calling for political change. It also inspired the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, which challenged authorities’ enforcement of the hijab mandate.

The Hijab and Chastity Law was drafted by the Iranian judiciary at the behest of former President Ebrahim Raisi in response to the increasing reluctance of many women to wear the hijab.

What does the new law say?

According to Iranian media reports, the legislation imposes fines equivalent to 20 months’ average salary on women who wear a hijab inappropriately or do not wear it at all in public or on social media.

Fines must be paid within ten days. Failing this, offenders will face restrictions on access to government services, such as the issuance or renewal of passports, driving licenses and exit permits.

Mary Mohammadi, a US-based Iranian political analyst, said the law aims to hinder women by making their struggle too expensive.

“It seeks to prevent the advancement of women’s demands, to strengthen the morale of the regime’s ideological supporters, to exhaust the psyche of society by creating all-encompassing conflicts in everyday life, and to undermine the revolutionary potential of women weaken,” she told DW.

The legislation requires institutions to provide CCTV footage to help police identify people who oppose compulsory hijab. Non-compliance will result in fines or dismissal of officials of the institutions.

It also criminalizes the design or promotion of items such as clothing, statues and toys that are deemed to encourage ‘nudity’ or the absence of veils.

The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade is tasked with auditing clothing manufacturers and suppliers to ensure garments comply with hijab laws.

Pezeshkian’s Hijab Dilemma

The ‘hijab and chastity’ law was passed by lawmakers four months into Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian’s term.

Pezeshkian, who is widely seen as aligned with the reformist movement that advocates greater freedoms and better relations with the West, criticized strict enforcement of hijab rules during his election campaign.

Many of Pezeshkian’s supporters had hoped his government would ease pressure around mandatory hijab. However, critics argue that mandatory enforcement of the hijab is beyond the direct control of the government.

“In a broader view, the disagreement over its implementation between the hardliners in the Islamic Parliament and the so-called reformist Pezeshkian in the government is a staged display of internal regime conflict over the mandatory hijab law,” Mohammadi said.

More than two years after the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, and despite increased threats and additional security cameras in cities, many women still appear in public without the mandatory hijab.

“In practice, Iranian women themselves have eliminated compromise and tolerance from their options and determined for themselves only two paths: death or freedom,” Mohammadi told DW.

What happens next?

The Iranian parliament has forwarded the law to Pezeshkian for signature, which is necessary before the law can enter into force.

However, under the country’s constitution, the president has the power to withhold notification to the relevant authorities, effectively delaying its implementation.

Activists and women’s rights advocates have urged Pezeshkian to exercise his authority and refrain from passing the controversial law.

Restrictions and pressure on women in Iran remain, with the law even increasing concerns among some officials within the Islamic Republic.

They expect opposition to the legislation to extend beyond social media, potentially leading to a new wave of street protests across the country.

Edited by: Keith Walker