Judiciary Unveils 'Hijab and Chastity' Bill; Increased Penalties for Prominent Figures Opposing Mandatory Hijab

The Judiciary has finally published parts of its proposed bill for hijab and chastity to provide a clearer picture of its suggestions and the government's views. This bill, prepared by the Judiciary, was sent to the government on April 29 and was approved by the cabinet on May 17 before being forwarded to the parliament. The bill has been sent to the parliament with a 'double urgency' clause, and according to the internal regulations of the parliament, it must be voted on in the first session after 'announcement of receipt,' and if approved, it will be placed on the agenda within 48 hours. In this bill, which has had some details published by the Judiciary, it has attempted to prescribe 'the formation of a judicial case' as the last stage of confrontation, limiting initial actions to warnings, fines, and the closure of establishments. The published text describes actions such as 'uncovering the head by women,' 'nudity,' and 'wearing thin, body-revealing clothing' as 'crimes,' with 'perpetrators of this crime being warned and fined up to three times after identification through smart systems, and if the crime is repeated for the fourth time, they will be referred to the judicial authority.' Additionally, the bill stipulates that if the crime of uncovering the hijab occurs in a vehicle, after two warnings and financial penalties, the vehicle will be electronically confiscated for seven days on the third offense. The bill also addresses the issue of hijab violations by employees of government agencies, emphasizing that such violations will be pursued up to three times through the relevant supervisory mechanisms, with offenders referred to judicial authorities on the fourth instance. For clients of public and governmental agencies, if they commit the crime of uncovering the hijab, they will be deprived of 'receiving administrative services from that agency.' According to this bill, for non-governmental establishments, if a hijab violation occurs, the first instance will receive a closure warning, the second will result in closure for up to one week, and the third will lead to closure for up to two weeks by 'law enforcement agents or according to professional regulations by relevant authorities.' Celebrities and well-known individuals who have recently faced significant reactions for appearing without mandatory hijab at various events are also a focus of this bill, which states that 'whenever individuals who are socially influential due to their social, political, cultural, artistic, or sports activities commit the crime of uncovering the hijab, their punishment will be increased by one degree, and they will also be sentenced to a ban from professional activities for three months to one year by the relevant authorities.' The bill extends hijab control to the virtual space as well, stating that individuals who promote against hijab online will first receive warnings from 'law enforcement,' in addition to 'removal of their website or information portal pages,' and on the second instance, they will face 'internet service deprivation' for three to six months along with financial penalties, and ultimately, on the third instance, they will be referred to judicial authorities. A noteworthy aspect of this bill may be its confrontation with those who consider themselves 'fire at will' and executors of 'enjoining good and forbidding wrong.' The proposed bill emphasizes that 'no one has the right to insult individuals who do not observe the legal hijab.' This provision states: 'No one has the right to commit criminal acts such as insult, defamation, threats, or physical harm against women who do not observe the legal hijab under the pretext of enjoining good or forbidding wrong, and those who act will be punished according to the law.' The proposed bill has now been sent to the Islamic Consultative Assembly and will be forwarded to the Guardian Council for final approval after review and ratification.