A Narrative on the Behavior of Metro Hijab Monitors: Their Gaze and Tone Are Not Kind

The issue of metro hijab monitors, as narrated by the public, reflects the behavior and attitude of these individuals towards people. A media outlet in Iran quoted a citizen stating, "Their gaze and tone were not kind; it felt as if they were looking at a hideous creature." The news website 'Jamaran' reported that a woman recounted, "A man taking pictures with a camera approached me violently; they checked my phone to ensure I hadn't taken any pictures." According to this citizen, these individuals demanded identification in a "harsh tone" and allowed her to continue her journey only after taking a photo of her ID. It seems that the approach of the hijab monitors has intensified following statements from various figures supporting this action and the publication of a letter from the Ministry of Interior by the newspaper 'Etemad.' In this context, on Thursday, December 9, Ali Yazdikhah, a member of the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated, "There are no legal restrictions on the presence of hijab monitors," and they "should be stationed everywhere, not just in the metro." Last week, the newspaper Etemad published part of a "very confidential" directive from the Minister of Interior of Ebrahim Raisi's government, which sparked numerous reactions. According to this directive, Ahmad Vahidi requested the deployment of hijab monitors in the metro to deal with women without mandatory hijab on June 9 of this year. Amid increasing pressure on women, eyewitnesses told the Persian section of Voice of America that "motorcycle police are lurking in traffic, checking the license plates of women's cars, and if they are stopped, they pursue them," and also, "at some bus stops, officers have been stationed to prevent women without hijab from boarding." Despite the increased pressure for women to adhere to mandatory hijab, civil disobedience continues, and in recent events, the well-known director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami appeared in public without mandatory hijab. A young woman from Tehran recounted, "I don’t take a scarf with me so that the hijab monitors cannot force me to wear one." The mystery of the hijab monitors in the Islamic Republic; they operate under the supervision of the IRGC and Basij. One month after the death of Armita Garavand, a member of parliament stated that hijab monitors should be stationed everywhere. Two lawyers have requested the annulment of the 'confidential' hijab directive; the Minister of Interior stated that anyone who obstructs this is a "criminal." Criticism of the Minister of Interior's "lying" about the metro hijab monitors continues. The Deputy Mayor of Tehran regarding the hijab monitors stated, "Our goal is to remind and enforce hijab." The controversies surrounding a "confidential" letter; when you lie, how can people believe the story of Armita?