Member of the National Security Commission: No One is Willing to Accept Responsibility for 'Guidance Patrol'

A member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly criticized the return of the Guidance Patrol to the streets, calling it an incorrect policy and stating that the behavior of some Iranian officials is 'in the direction of overthrowing the Islamic Republic system.' According to the Jamaran news website on Sunday, July 23, Jalil Rahimi Jahangabadi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, urged 'officials' to abandon 'destructive, irrational, and insulting behaviors' that 'damage the relationship between the government and the people.' Rahimi Jahangabadi emphasized that 'no one is willing to accept responsibility for the Guidance Patrol,' indicating that this shows 'this policy is not correct.' He noted that there is 'no rationality behind these behaviors' and mentioned observing a 'military presence' of police officers and vehicles in Tajrish Square, which caused 'problems for the movement of people and vehicles.' He described Iranian society before the 1979 revolution as 'religious' and 'God-fearing,' stating that the officials of the Islamic Republic have turned religious beliefs 'into a war and conflict with the people.' He warned that the 'revival of the Guidance Patrol under any name and title' would result in 'increased distrust among the people,' more 'emigration of elites,' and 'provoking the people for renewed challenges with the government.' The member of the National Security Commission also deemed court rulings against female actors as 'irrational' and damaging to the 'dignity of the judiciary,' referring to 'forcing people to wash corpses' and 'forcing medication down people's throats,' stating that 'the country cannot be governed with police.' The announcement of the return of the Guidance Patrol to the streets, which according to official reports includes some 'on-duty judges,' has sparked widespread reactions. For instance, Shima Qosheh, a lawyer residing in Iran, likened it to 'field courts in wars and revolutions.' Additionally, following humiliating rulings against several female actors for not adhering to mandatory hijab, Mehdi Kouhian, a member of the 'Legal and Judicial Support Committee of the House of Cinema,' resigned from his position, stating, 'I do not want to auction my little cultural reputation in this dangerous game, at least until a space for logical, legal, and rational dialogue is created.' On the other hand, Hossein Ahmadi-Niaz, a lawyer, described the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill as 'full of flaws' and 'against the constitution,' telling Voice of America that 'the Islamic Republic is acting against all legal principles and regulations.' This human rights lawyer emphasized that the Islamic Republic's treatment of the people is 'illegal,' asserting that 'what is happening in Iran is the law of the jungle and stems from the regime's ideology and the systematic repression of the Iranian people.'