Gershad: An App to Avoid Encounters with the Guidance Patrol

The 'Gershad' application has begun its operations with the aim of assisting the people of Iran in urban mobility 'without encountering the Guidance Patrol.' The launch of this new app in the Persian-speaking virtual space and social media has received widespread attention. The official website of this app states that the motivation for providing such a service stems from 'anger at all this senseless oppression' and the effort to find a way 'for practical resistance against this level of injustice.' The site describes the 'Gershad' app as a 'peaceful and low-risk' method for 'regaining' some of the freedoms of the Iranian people. This app essentially serves as a 'map of various cities in Iran, along with up-to-date information about the latest locations where the Guidance Patrol is present.' As explained by the 'Gershad' website, users of this app can look at the map of their city to select routes that are less likely to encounter the Guidance Patrol. The site also introduces the ability for users to add the locations of the patrols in different areas as another feature of 'Gershad.' It explains that 'the location information of the patrols is reported by citizens themselves, and the accuracy of Gershad depends on their cooperation and precision.' The creators of this app have emphasized that 'if a large number of citizens in a city use Gershad and take reporting the patrols seriously, Gershad will be very accurate.' Currently, this application is only available for the Android operating system. This is the first time such an app has been developed and offered in Iran with the aim of countering the restrictions imposed by the Guidance Patrols. According to police officials, nearly three million people received 'warnings' from the Guidance Patrol in the year 1392 (2013), and a significant number of them were also referred to the judiciary. The Guidance Patrol was established years ago by the Iranian police to warn women and men who do not adhere to Islamic dress codes and are 'promoters of Western culture.' Police officials claim that over 50% of the Iranian people support such patrols, but the changing trends in Iranian society, especially regarding dress codes, do not support the police's claims. Iranian society has witnessed significant social changes compared to the past due to the increasing influence of the internet and satellite television and the widespread use of smartphones, which is referred to as a 'change in lifestyle.' Officials of the Islamic Republic have identified the internet, satellite networks, and mobile social networks as the main factors behind these changes and have made extensive efforts to limit them.