Government Spokesperson Mohajerani's Reaction to the Announcement of the 'Hijab and Chastity' Law: 'Cultural Issues Cannot Be Imposed by Force'

Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the Pezeshkian government, responded on Tuesday, October 16, to a question regarding the announcement of the 'Hijab and Chastity' law by stating that 'cultural issues cannot be imposed by force, but can be instilled through belief.' Mohajerani emphasized that 'the law must be framed in a way that considers the interests of the people.' This comes as the recent news of the approval of this bill by the Guardian Council and its submission to the presiding board of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has faced widespread reactions. However, the status of this law remains unclear due to the silence of the Guardian Council spokesperson and the lack of public disclosure of its final text. The Pezeshkian government spokesperson also did not refer to the approval of this law by the Guardian Council or its review process in the Assembly, adding, 'This government is a government of unity and seeks to advance matters through solidarity.' Regarding the implementation process of the 'Hijab and Chastity' law, she explained that 'we are currently conducting precise expert work to ensure that the issues are executable.' Mohajerani implicitly pointed out that 'laws must have an executive backing' and added that the Pezeshkian government intends to undertake 'cultural work' in this regard, emphasizing that cultural work regarding the enforcement of mandatory hijab cannot be pursued with a 'must' and a 'repressive' approach. It is worth mentioning that the status of the 'Hijab and Chastity' law remains unclear, and neither the President nor the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has officially announced the promulgation of this law. Mohajerani responded regarding the status of the morality patrols and whether the police, which is under the Ministry of Interior, intends to change its approach, stating that 'issues are being followed up.' Narges Mohammadi: The biggest transformation regarding women's rights issues in Iran has occurred. Reactions to the approval of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill: Like the law of slavery, it causes distress and suffocation for women. The promulgation of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill to the Assembly; the continuation of women's civil disobedience against mandatory dress. The spokesperson for the Guardian Council once again declared the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill to be 'ambiguous.'