Criticism from the Secretary of the Promotion of Virtue Headquarters on the Hijab Bill: It Lacks Practical Fieldwork, Only Focused on Criminal Law

The Secretary of the Promotion of Virtue Headquarters criticized the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill, identifying its greatest 'weakness' as its reliance solely on a 'criminal law' perspective. He emphasized that if 'social and jurisprudential interpretations' had been considered, it would have been 'much more effective.' Mohammad Hossein Taheri Akhardi, the new Secretary of the Promotion of Virtue Headquarters, stated in an interview with the government news agency IRNA that the weakness of this bill is that it was not prepared 'in the field.' He noted, 'A group of experts sat in a corner and viewed the issue from a criminal law perspective, identifying instances of hijab violations, improper hijab, and unveiling solely as crimes.' Taheri Akhardi stressed, 'How can a decision be made in the Islamic Republic without considering the martyrs' will?' He expressed hope that this bill would be amended in Parliament. For several weeks, following the publication of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill text in the media, 'principlists' reacted strongly to its content, criticizing the lack of severity in enforcement. Conversely, the public and experts have deemed this bill contradictory to individual freedoms. The Promotion of Virtue Headquarters had previously criticized the Judiciary's bill, proposing heavier penalties. Experts told Voice of America that these actions, while attempting to maintain discriminatory laws, represent a form of 'governmental profiteering.' According to the bill presented by the government, the police are the only judicial authority allowed to issue warnings via text message to those who do not comply with mandatory hijab and unveil, with fines of up to 166,000 tomans for first offenses and about 330,000 tomans for repeat offenses. Under the Judiciary's proposal, 'the penalty for partial nudity or wearing thin, body-revealing, or tight clothing in public or online' is set at a fine of 'two million tomans,' while 'complete nudity' incurs a penalty of 'six to 24 million tomans,' along with 'deprivation of social rights of grade six.' Shahla Shafigh, a writer and sociologist, told Voice of America that mandatory hijab, while being an ideological banner of the Islamic Republic, is also a means for the government to profit. Additionally, Roya Kashafi, a human rights activist, noted that over the past four decades, there have been various instances of women's rights violations, from inserting pins into women's heads to acid attacks, stating that the Islamic Republic's efforts to maintain mandatory hijab are essentially to uphold all discriminatory laws against women. Principlists are dissatisfied with the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill and the monetary fines for 'nudity.' There have been protests in response to the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill, ranging from 'protest resignations' to launching virtual campaigns. Media supportive of mandatory hijab have criticized the 'Hijab Bill,' claiming it reduces the power of 'officer enforcement.' The Judiciary has unveiled the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill, intensifying penalties for famous individuals opposing mandatory hijab. A significant barrier of 'civil disobedience by women' stands against the Islamic Republic; reactions to the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill continue. The Judiciary states that individuals without hijab will be barred from professional activities. Proposed by representative Naghdi Ali, the punishment for improper hijab includes 'flogging.'