Ayatollah Khamenei: The Police Should Ignore Opposition from Individuals and Media in the Moral Security Plan

While the President of Iran had previously opposed the plan for 'invisible patrols', the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic urged police commanders to disregard 'the opposition of some individuals or media campaigns' and to proceed with the implementation of the 'moral security' plan. According to a report from Ayatollah Khamenei's website, on Sunday, May 8, he stated during a meeting with police commanders that 'some wield knives, while others break norms and promote sin; this is no less important, if not more so.' He emphasized that 'addiction, evildoing, and norm-breaking threaten the physical, spiritual, and moral security of society' and that there should be 'careful planning' using the expert opinions of thoughtful individuals, especially within the police, to address these issues. Khamenei added that 'in matters related to moral security, after careful, solid, rational, and correct planning, one should not pay attention to the opposition of some individuals or media campaigns, but should proceed with trust in God.' He also referred to the 'enemies' attempts to create hopelessness, mistrust, and division in the country, calling for 'vigilance' from officials and the public to maintain 'the existing unity in the country,' adding that 'creating duality, factionalism, and polarization is a deadly blow that the enemy seeks.' Hossein Sajedi-Nia, the commander of the Tehran police, announced on April 19 that seven thousand officers would be part of the 'invisible moral security patrols' to report license plates of vehicles involved in issues such as 'unveiling in vehicles,' 'harassment of women,' 'noise pollution,' and 'performing stunts' via 'text messages.' This plan has faced negative reactions from government officials and positive reactions from judicial authorities. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, opposed these patrols on April 20, stating that the 'first duty' of the government towards the people is 'to respect their personality, status, and dignity,' as 'this dignity precedes religion.' In contrast, on Tuesday, May 2, 190 members of parliament supported this plan, and Hassan Firouzabadi, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, labeled opponents of the plan as 'Western-oriented individuals and promoters of immorality.' The Supreme Leader also called for the image of a 'kind and powerful friend' to be portrayed of the police in the minds of the people. According to Khamenei, 'power and decisiveness without cruelty,' 'internal integrity,' 'timely and rapid presence,' 'compassion and assistance to the people,' and 'lawfulness' are factors that will create a positive image of the police. He also noted that despite a reduction in road accidents, 'the casualty statistics remain high, and the police and responsible agencies must strive to continuously reduce these statistics.' Road accident statistics in Iran are among the highest in the world. According to the statistics from the country's forensic medical organization, 16,872 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2014, which was a 2.6 percent decrease compared to the previous year.