Continued Civil Disobedience Against Mandatory Hijab; Judiciary: It's the Work of the 'Enemy Think Tank'

Civil disobedience by women in Iran against the mandatory hijab policy of the Islamic Republic continues; an action that officials of the Islamic Republic attribute to the 'enemy.' Concurrently with the mourning days of Muharram, propaganda related to the mandatory hijab is ongoing from government platforms at mourning assemblies and ceremonies. The Hamshahri newspaper, affiliated with the Tehran municipality, reported on Friday, July 26, that Hossein Ansarian, a eulogist and speaker close to the office of the Supreme Leader, claimed that 'the enemy wants to make Muslim women and girls semi-naked and throw them into banks, schools, parks, universities, and offices,' stating that this 'is a significant help in eradicating Islam.' This eulogist emphasized, 'Now do you understand the obligation of hijab?' adding: 'The enemy's plan is to make all Shia women semi-naked and scatter them everywhere, provoking men.' Simultaneously, the Tasnim news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published remarks by Mohammad Mosaddegh, the Deputy Head of the Judiciary, at a mourning ceremony in Zanjan, who claimed that the 'enemy think tank' is working '24/7' to 'devalue religious concepts' and 'wants to take away our Ashura spirit.' These claims by government figures come at a time when among the ongoing protests in Iran, some protesters are devout Muslims; for instance, Ali Roozbehani, a pilgrim to Karbala last year, was killed during the nationwide protests in Tehran. Tara Roozbehani, the sister of this deceased protester, shared a picture of him in Karbala, comparing the suppression of peaceful protests in 2022 with the programming of state television during Muharram, stating on Twitter that she saw 'the wicked and Shimmer and Harmala' and 'tears of crocodiles' on television, writing that 'on the ninth day, Tasu'a, they shot my brother in the throat' and 'every breath is a wound and scar.' The Iran Prison Atlas, a comprehensive database of political and ideological prisoners, reported on Wednesday, July 25, that Tabassom Jamalpour, a young woman protesting against the mandatory hijab who had her image without the mandatory hijab published in front of a Muharram assembly, was subjected to 'beating and sexual assault' after being arrested by Islamic Republic agents. According to this report and a 'reliable source,' security forces told her after her arrest on July 17, 'You must undress like the image you published,' and proceeded to remove her clothing and touch her breasts. Based on this report, Tabassom Jamalpour was interrogated in Ward 209 of Evin Prison and transferred to the women’s section of Evin Prison on August 3, facing charges of 'insulting sacred values and promoting corruption and prostitution.' On July 19, Tasnim news agency reported that 'two women and one man' were arrested in front of the Qamar Bani Hashim assembly in District 6 of Tehran after they attempted to 'remove their hijab' and 'expose themselves.' The former deputy of the Iranian Aviation Organization stated that Iran's exclusion by foreign airlines is due to 'software issues,' including the mandatory hijab. According to the Entekhab website, Ali Manzari added that Iran 'has potential,' but due to 'software issues,' it is not possible, as foreign passengers 'are without hijab' and 'differ from our culture,' which has led 'foreign companies not to choose us as a stopover.' Previously, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department expressed concern about the return of the morality police to the streets of Iran ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody of this police force and reports regarding the enforcement of 'mandatory hijab' by the 'morality police.' Matthew Miller stated that it seems the 'Islamic Republic' has not learned from recent protests, emphasizing that women and girls should freely choose what they want to wear. In this context, Abraham Cooper, the head of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, stated that Western countries should reconsider their policies towards Iran.