Iranian Pensioners' Council: The Islamic Republic Has Declared War on Women, Life, and Freedom

On Thursday, April 30, the Iranian Pensioners' Council issued a statement criticizing the intensified crackdown by government forces on girls and women opposing mandatory hijab, stating that this "war against women is a declaration of war against life and freedom." The statement from the Iranian Pensioners' Council noted: "In the face of the peak of daily protests from various segments of society, coinciding with the onset of external tensions and a militaristic atmosphere, the government has launched an assault on women to reclaim everything it has lost." The council believes that the government aims to "push back the agitated and protesting society." The statement emphasized that "the compliance of such a protesting, aware, and demanding society that seeks to overcome the current conditions is very difficult, problematic, and impossible." Accordingly, the statement argues that "the new wave of planned, ruthless, and violent assaults against women is a scenario of assault on all protesting and demanding people." It further states that the Islamic Republic has officially "declared war against life and freedom" through these actions. The Iranian Pensioners' Council pointed out that the government is under severe pressure from the people and sees its existence at risk, resorting to repression and attacks on women to push back this crushing pressure. The council's statement insists that in such circumstances, resistance and opposition to this policy is not only the responsibility of women but the duty of the entire society. The statement reads: "The women's movement has raised the expectations and level of demands of society, and a return to the past is no longer possible." The Iranian Pensioners' Council reminded that the forty-year history has shown that women have pushed the government back through resistance and struggle, inch by inch. Concurrently, with the prominent presence of government forces in the streets of Iranian cities since Saturday, April 25, fifteen religious intellectuals emphasized in a statement that "the era of either hijab or beatings is over forever." According to Voice of America, on the fifth day of the extensive deployment of government forces in the streets of Iran to suppress women's optional hijab, and the continued visual reports of clashes between agents and the public, some government defenders labeled this action as "a plot by infiltrators," while a group of observers stated that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has given the "order for a civil war." The "Hijab and Chastity" bill was a reaction to the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement; an interview with Leili Pourzand and Forough Kanani: The government's insistence on enforcing mandatory hijab is enmity towards the Iranian people. The intensified crackdown by the Islamic Republic's forces against opponents of mandatory hijab continues. Aida Shakeri, the sister of Nika Shakeri, was arrested for "not wearing mandatory hijab." Military personnel are in the streets, while parliament members are in Baharestan; the Islamic Republic's comprehensive effort for a "war against women" in Iran.