Iranian Officials Insist on Resuming 'Guidance Patrols' Amid Global Condemnations

Iranian officials' insistence on reinstating 'Guidance Patrols' ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody has sparked a wave of reactions from senior Western officials. The spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary defended this action by linking chastity to hijab, stating: 'We strongly emphasize that in the implementation of the law, individuals and law enforcement officials have no right to deviate from legal limits, and the law must be executed without any reduction.' The deputy commander of the Iranian police also remarked: 'The enemy's goal is to lead unaware individuals towards nudity and lack of hijab, but chastity and hijab are among the fundamental principles of Islam and the revolution, and the police will not allow the enemy to achieve its goals.' Qasem Rezaei claimed that some individuals who remove their hijab do so with the intent to fight the regime or are connected to hostile networks, and some have even produced content for them, asserting that serious and special measures will be taken against such individuals. Meanwhile, following the resumption of 'Guidance Patrols' and the support from Iranian officials, Molavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, tweeted: 'Past experiences have shown that enforcing hijab and closing people's businesses has been an ineffective policy and has increased dissatisfaction.' This cleric, opposing the current policies of the Islamic Republic, added: 'An effective solution is wisdom and respect for women, paying attention to their demands, and the release of political prisoners, especially women.' In the same vein, John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House, responded to a question about the return of 'Guidance Patrols' to the streets of Iran on July 17, stating: 'After Mahsa Amini's death and the public protests, the people of Iran should now be able to make decisions for themselves and choose their own attire.' The U.S. State Department spokesperson also expressed concern over the enforcement of mandatory hijab by the Islamic Republic through what is called the morality police, emphasizing that 'it seems the Islamic Republic has not learned from recent protests.' Senator Dan Feehan from Minnesota condemned the Iranian regime's pressure on women and girls, stating on Twitter: 'After women and girls across Iran took to the streets to fight for freedom following Mahsa Amini's murder, the heartless Iranian regime has returned its 'morality police' to the streets. I condemn this action and stand with the oppressed people of Iran.' Bob Menendez, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reacted to the intensified restrictions on women by tweeting: 'Ten months after Mahsa Amini's murder by the Guidance Patrol, the Iranian regime has once again deployed this anti-women patrol to suppress women and threaten protesters. The international community cannot accept this tragedy.' British entrepreneur Richard Branson also described the existence of 'Guidance Patrols' as an unacceptable violation of women's lives and rights, tweeting: 'Ten months after Mahsa Amini's death in police custody and the escalation of protests across Iran, the regime's morality police (which is anything but a promoter of morality) is patrolling the streets again to arrest women without hijab; this action is an unacceptable violation of women's lives and rights.'