Government's Reaction to Criticism of 'Anti-Hijab Clinic': It’s Called 'Gathering'

Following widespread protests against the decision of the Islamic Republic's Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters in Tehran to establish an 'Anti-Hijab Clinic' claiming 'scientific and psychological treatment' for opposition to mandatory hijab and civil disobedience, the deputy of this governmental body stated that it is better to use the term 'gathering' instead of 'clinic.' Mohammad Reza Mirshamsi, the deputy, said in an interview with the 'Iran Watch' website on Thursday, November 24, that 'the Promotion of Virtue Headquarters does not view hijab-less individuals with a pathological or security perspective' and asserted that this institution of the Islamic Republic aims to consider hijablessness as a cultural and educational issue. This claim comes at a time when officials of the Islamic Republic have used security accusations against opponents of mandatory hijab for over four decades; accusations that have repeatedly led to security and judicial actions against opponents of the mandatory hijab. The violent arrest of girls and women opposing mandatory hijab, which led to the death of Mahsa Amini during her detention by the Guidance Patrol in September 2022, sparked widespread protests and demonstrations across various regions of Iran. Mirshamsi described what he called 'anti-hijab gatherings,' stating, 'Chairs have been placed there for women to sit and talk about their experiences of the harms related to hijablessness.' This government official also claimed that those 'involved in hijablessness' contacted this headquarters seeking solutions and cited reasons for hijablessness such as 'joining the enemy's media wave against hijab and chastity,' 'mockery by friends,' and 'fear of employers.' He also mentioned that with the approval of the judiciary, attending these sessions would replace the formation of legal cases and monetary fines. The establishment of special anti-hijab clinics by the Women and Family Department was met with widespread protests on social media, especially from psychiatric specialists and civil and human rights activists both inside and outside Iran. Nazanin Afshin-Jam, a well-known human rights activist and former Miss Canada, wrote on the social media platform 'X': 'Not choosing hijab is not a mental illness. It is a choice. A woman's choice.' Samaneh Tavakoli, a psychiatrist, also reacted to the news of the establishment of 'anti-hijab clinics,' stating on social media that 'such plans have no connection or relevance to the scientific application of psychology, and the use of terms like 'clinic,' 'withdrawal,' 'treatment,' and similar terms for them is a case of abuse and instrumental use of psychology.' Doctors and specialists have also emphasized that establishing centers with such titles requires obtaining permission from entities such as the Ministry of Health or the Psychology System Organization. Hannah Neumann, head of Iran affairs in the European Parliament, also wrote on social media: 'The establishment of an anti-hijab clinic is a blatant attempt by the Islamic Republic regime to label the struggle of Iranian women for freedom as a mental illness.' She added: 'This is repression depicted in the guise of health care. Iranian women deserve to enjoy their rights, not forced treatments.' Sina Jahani, a journalist, considered the establishment of the 'anti-hijab clinic' to stem from a 'foolish and fraudulent mind,' stating that its proposal during the drafting of next year's budget was 'only for profit and the fabrication of terms to exploit institutions and organizations.' Shakib Nasrollah, a psychologist, also told psychologists not to sell their profession for threats, bullying, and force, emphasizing that 'the anti-hijab clinic is the latest abuse of psychology by the government,' and stated that 'it is the duty of psychologists to declare their disavowal of such abuses.' Officials of the Islamic Republic have previously labeled opponents of the government and political prisoners as having 'mental illness' and have detained them in psychotherapy centers. For instance, in recent months, Roya Zakeri, a civil activist opposing mandatory hijab, who shouted against Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, during her arrest, was imprisoned in the isolated section of the Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Tabriz. The proposal to open the 'anti-hijab clinic' was announced just days after a wave of protests in Iran and around the world against the arrest and transfer of Ahoo Daryayi, a female student at Azad University, to a psychiatric hospital. According to reports, Ahoo Daryayi, a seventh-semester French language student, undressed in protest in the university courtyard on November 12 after 'harassment by university security' for not complying with mandatory hijab. According to state media, this center intends to conduct activities by mimicking classes on combating and preventing social harms. Based on these reports, it has been claimed that in this clinic, 'individual counseling, group sessions, and skill-building workshops in self-awareness and managing social pressures' will be conducted. The Iranian Scientific Association of Psychiatrists, on November 16, issued a statement following the violent arrest of Ahoo Daryayi, stating that 'turning a therapeutic matter into a political one could deprive those in need of psychiatric services from proper, timely treatment and rehabilitation in a safe environment.' This association has repeatedly warned about the misuse of psychiatric science during the nationwide protests in Iran, emphasizing that 'diagnosis and psychiatric treatment should never be a means to pressure groups of citizens or deprive them of their fundamental rights.'