A Member of Parliament: The 'Mandatory Hijab' Bill Has Also Entered the Student Domain

A member of parliament warned about the entry of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill into the student domain. Gholamreza Nouri Qazaljeh emphasized in an interview with the Shargh newspaper on Thursday, August 17, that this bill has regulations for individuals under 18 years old. The head of the Independent Faction of Parliament stated that according to Article 46, Note 5 of the discussed bill, students who continue to disregard the mandatory hijab at school will be referred to the police. He read parts of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill, clarifying that students who receive three warnings about the mandatory hijab will be referred to the police by the disciplinary committee or the security of the educational center. This section of the bill also applies to students opposing the mandatory hijab. According to the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill, all citizen databases, including those of students, are required to provide relevant information to the Islamic Republic's police command. The goal of this cooperation is to identify the 'definite identity' and 'national ID' of those opposing the mandatory hijab. Nouri Qazaljeh stated that Article 68 of the mandatory hijab bill considers punitive and disciplinary measures for adolescents aged 9 to 18 who support optional dress. He criticized the decision-makers regarding this bill, emphasizing that they lack accurate information about its contents. He noted that Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament, has denied the regulations mentioned in this bill regarding dealing with girls under 18. Meanwhile, Hossein Jalali, a representative from Rafsanjan, defended the imposition of financial penalties and social deprivation for individuals under 18 in the hijab bill, mentioning deprivation of education, bank accounts, internet, and telephone. Pegah Bani Hashemi, a legal expert residing in the U.S., warned about the adverse effects of punishing adolescents on their future. The review of this bill has been assigned to the Judicial Commission of Parliament, and the majority of parliamentarians have agreed to its non-public examination. Many observers, including some reformist forces, have described the secrecy surrounding the examination of this bill as stemming from the 'fear' and 'terror' of parliamentarians regarding public opinion. Some legal experts have attributed the direct responsibility for drafting the hijab bill to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament, and two representatives, Mousa Ghazanfari Abadi and Jalil Mohibi. Mohsen Barahani, a law professor at Tehran University, described this bill as an 'un-Islamic and anti-legal' resolution that will act like 'a melon peel under the feet of the kingdom, people, and country.' While the Iranian government has utilized all its power to confront civil disobedience from women opposing the mandatory hijab, images of women with optional dress in public spaces indicate the failure of these efforts. Controversial provisions of the hijab and chastity bill under consideration by the Islamic Consultative Assembly; Afshar Sigarchi reports reactions to the approval of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill based on Article 85: stemming from 'fear' of public opinion. Despite criticisms, the parliament approved it; the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill will be 'approved' in a joint commission. A member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of Parliament stated: if the hijab bill is not approved, the flood will take us away.