Conservative Website Criticizes Hijab Policies

The conservative website 'Alif' has stated that 'bad hijab' in Iran has turned into 'a form of nudity' and that 'most' of the Islamic Republic's policies regarding hijab have failed. On Saturday (January 8), this website described the Islamic Republic's failed hijab policies as 'mostly directive and authoritarian.' According to this conservative website, the 40-fold increase in morality patrols, the approval of the 'Protection of Chastity and Hijab' plan, and the existence of numerous extensive agencies and the allocation of huge budgets to combat bad hijab have not led to any success in this area. 'Alif' wrote: 'Here is the Islamic Republic of Iran; wherever you turn your eyes, you see girls who have let their ears out of their scarves or shawls, wearing tops and pants, and draping a piece of fabric over themselves, which they call an open-front manteau. Recently, they have also shaved one side of their heads and let their hair flow to the other side.' The website added that although one of the 'main concerns' of the Islamic Republic is the dress code of women, 'the era of short manteaus has passed, and bad hijab has gradually reached tight and clingy clothes and a form of nudity.' According to this website, close to Ahmad Tavakoli, a conservative member of parliament, 'the tolerance threshold of individuals against the anomaly of bad hijab' has increased, and 'the shame and ugliness' of it has decreased. Based on a study, not adhering to hijab was considered a 'fault' by 86.2% of people in 1986; however, this figure dropped to 41.5% in 1992. 'Alif' wrote that the results of this research indicate that 'the shame of bad hijab' in the minds of people in society has halved in six years. The website also criticized the decrease in what it called 'the manliness' of some Iranian men. 'Alif' further posed the question: 'What has happened to our society that a father, husband, or brother sees that a daughter or woman in the family is flirting on the street with inappropriate clothing but only observes... and ultimately calls it civilization?' The website expressed regret that in today's Iranian society, in some families, 'the roles of men and women have changed' and identified 'behavioral conflict within the family and the educational level of the mother' as one of the effective factors on 'hijab and bad hijab' of Iranian girls. Islamic mandatory hijab for women in Iran was introduced in the early years after the 1979 revolution and was recognized as a crime in 1983 with the approval of the Ta'zirat law. Although according to this law, not adhering to hijab in public places is punishable by flogging, as 'Alif' wrote, the Islamic Republic has still not succeeded in forcing women to adhere to complete Islamic hijab. Recently, even Mohammad Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi, the social deputy of the police, reported receiving reports of non-compliance with 'hijab and chastity' in Qom. The Qom News website also criticized the gradual disappearance of the chador, considered 'the symbol and sign of the city of Qom,' and the prevalence of 'seven-colored hair and loud makeup and the musical sound of high-heeled shoes' in this religious city.