Continued Criticism of the 'Hijab and Chastity' Bill; Users: A Means for Government Revenue

The spokesperson for the judiciary has stated that cases of hijab violations are considered 'eighth-degree crimes' in court. According to Islamic penal law, punishments are classified into eight degrees based on the severity of the crime. The punishment for an eighth-degree crime includes imprisonment for up to three months, fines up to ten million tomans, and lashes up to ten strikes. A member of the Legal Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has stated that the hijab and chastity law distinguishes between celebrities, organized hijab violations, business owners, and ordinary individuals. Accordingly, ordinary individuals will pay fines of 7 to 8 million tomans in the 'first stage,' and 'heavier penalties' are considered for them in subsequent stages of the hijab law. Many have deemed this bill a means for government revenue. One user wrote: 'With the finalization and implementation of the hijab bill, another government slogan about the ineffectiveness of sanctions will be realized. The fine for each unveiled woman is equivalent to the money from the sale of several barrels of oil.' Es'haq Jahangiri, the former deputy of Hassan Rouhani, mentioned in a tweet the government's crackdown on businesses under the pretext of non-compliance with hijab regulations, calling it 'concerning.' In recent days, the release of details about the so-called 'Hijab and Chastity' bill has sparked a wave of criticism among legal experts and political and social activists. Although the bill initially included 15 articles, it was ultimately organized into 70 articles, even covering the virtual space. The 'Hijab and Chastity' law also applies to men and penalizes wearing clothing that is 'against public modesty,' such as 'body-revealing clothing' or clothing that exposes parts of the body 'below the chest or above the calf or shoulder.' This bill, titled 'Supporting Families by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab,' mandates the Ministry of Economy to provide banking facilities to organizations active in the field of hijab and chastity and to calculate the costs of producing and supplying hijab-related products as 'tax-deductible expenses.' The 'Hijab and Chastity' bill has requested the state media to prepare and announce content regulations related to 'Islamic family-centered lifestyle' for home viewing within the next two months. The bill asks the Ministry of Science to establish universities and university campuses specifically for women. It has requested the Ministry of Health to arrange administrative layouts in the headquarters of hospitals, universities, and other centers affiliated with this ministry in a way that maintains 'Sharia boundaries' between male and female employees and avoids the presence of non-mahrams. The hijab bill has obligated the Ministry of Communications to launch the national information network 'as soon as possible.' According to reports, the fines for offenders will be deducted from the individual's bank account and deposited into the national treasury. In recent months, the Islamic Republic has expanded its campaign against voluntary hijab to include the closure of businesses and even online sales companies and cultural and artistic platforms. Despite severe criticism, Islamic Republic officials emphasize the 'deterrent' nature of the fines. A representative from Mazandaran in the Assembly of Experts and the Friday prayer leader of Qaemshahr stated that penalizing with money does not 'solve the problem.' Ali Maalemi argues that unveiling requires 'punishments,' and the best punishment is 'lashes, not money.' On the other hand, a member of the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly referred to 'seizing passports' as a measure to combat unveiling. Amir Hossein Bankipour stated that 95% of 'unveiled individuals' are corrected through police intervention, and only 5% 'insist on repeating unveiling.' He said: 'If someone appears half-naked in society and if there is an assault on veiled women, we will confront them directly.' Shahla Shafigh stated that men can join women in protests against compulsory hijab. Continued criticism of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill; a legal expert called it 'damaging and terrifying.' The reading platform 'Taqche' has been filtered; experts warn about the despair and flight of youth.