Another Account of the 'Noor Plan' to Counter Opponents of Mandatory Hijab: Officials Also 'Assault' with Words

'The Noor Plan' is currently one of the most controversial topics targeting women and girls in Iran. Women and girls have reported to domestic media about their arrests in the 'Noor Plan', stating that the words of the officials feel like a form of 'assault'. This approach by the security and police apparatus, along with daily reports, confirms the accounts published in recent weeks. On Monday, the Human Rights Watch released a report revealing new evidence regarding 'sexual assault' against detainees from the protests of 2021. The annual report from the U.S. State Department, also published on Monday, emphasized 'sexual assault' against detainees. The 'Iran Watch' website highlights the accounts of women and girls regarding the 'assault' by officials. In the first account from a detained girl, she described: 'Suddenly, three men surrounded me from behind and three women from the front, two women grabbed my hand from one side and pulled me towards them.' In another account, referring to a confrontation between the public and officials, it was stated: 'I will not only change my appearance, but I will also try to move in streets where the patrols do not exist.' Another girl told 'Iran Watch': 'Even though I was wearing a long skirt, two women came to me and said, 'What kind of dressing is this? Bend down and show whether you are wearing pants or not.' I said, 'I will not bend down; if you want, you can bend down yourself, there are plenty of strange men here.' Meanwhile, one of the hijab enforcers pulled her scarf over my head and said, 'I say bend down.' This girl recounted 'verbal assault' from male officials, emphasizing that they told her: 'Because you are not a decent girl, you dressed like this. I also have a daughter your age, but she has been raised in a way that she does not need to attract attention like you.' In another account, it was mentioned: 'I was in the metro with my friend, her scarf fell off, and I was wearing a hat. Suddenly, the officials came towards us and in a very insulting tone demanded that we fix our hijab, leading to a physical altercation where my friend was subdued with a taser. After that, they handcuffed us and arrested us.' This woman explained that 'during the few hours we were there, we were severely insulted. In the meantime, I also heard several officials arguing about who had arrested us because apparently, the higher the number of arrests, the more income and rewards they receive.' Another girl said: 'When we entered the police station, most of the women were wearing hijabs, and the atmosphere was slightly different. I saw a girl who had been hit in the face with a bag, and the blow was so strong that the makeup mark was left on the bag. Another person was arrested just because he was a photographer, he didn't even have a 'hijab issue.' In this account, it was mentioned that several middle-aged men came and asked us to write our statements, and several times we were asked: 'What was the reason for your hijab violation?' After the interrogation, they took our pictures along with a sign that read 'Noor Plan' to create a case, and in the meantime, they tried to separate the cases of students from ordinary individuals. These accounts come as the Islamic Republic's police announced a new statement, stating that the plan would move towards 'smartening up.' Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in his Eid al-Fitr sermon on Wednesday, April 22, issued a new command to the 'promoters of virtue' whom he previously described as 'fire at will', asking them to 'confront religious violations.' Hours after Khamenei's order, the police announced that the plan to combat women's voluntary dress would be implemented starting Saturday, April 25. Amnesty International reported in a report published in Esfand 1402 that 'Iranian officials are trying to eliminate resistance to mandatory hijab after the nationwide protests for women, life, freedom, attempting to instill fear in women and girls, disrupting their daily lives and causing severe psychological distress.' Support from various branches of the Islamic Republic for the so-called Noor Plan; a new wave of repression against women. New dimensions of repression against women in Iran under the pretext of mandatory hijab; users: the Noor Plan is a plan of force. The Deputy Speaker of Parliament defended the 'correct path of the Noor Plan'; Prince Reza Pahlavi: 'Organized assault' against women. The police claimed: 'The Noor Plan' is moving towards 'smartening up'; the war against women continues in the streets. A message from Sediqeh Vasmaghi from Evin: The Islamic Republic has no reasonable justification for the 'ridiculous policy of mandatory hijab'. Accounts from students about the behavior of security forces; entering university with fear and anxiety.