Member of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters: Women Will Be Sent to Anti-Hijab Clinics by Court Order

Two days after the announcement of the establishment of 'anti-hijab clinics', which was claimed to be 'voluntary', an official from the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters announced that 'badly veiled' women will be referred to these centers by court order. Mohammad Reza Mirshamsi, the Deputy for Social Affairs of the Headquarters, cited the 'determination of alternative sentences' for individuals who engage in the 'illegal act of unveiling' as one of the reasons for launching these clinics. He added that judges of the judiciary had 'requested that alternative punishments be established for individuals arrested for unveiling.' Mirshamsi emphasized that they believe it is better to 'discuss with these individuals and make them aware of the harms of this unlawful and un-Islamic act' rather than to create a legal case against them and impose fines. These statements come at a time when Mehri Talebi Darastani, the head of the Women and Family Department of the Headquarters in Tehran, recently stated that psychological, counseling, and social work services will be provided at these centers for individuals who have a 'desire' to comply with hijab rules but may face challenges due to social pressures or environmental influences. However, based on Mirshamsi's statements, it became clear that the referral of individuals to these clinics will not be based on 'desire' but rather on judicial orders. The Deputy for Social Affairs of the Headquarters has repeatedly stated that it is better to use the term 'gathering' instead of 'clinic' for these centers. His insistence on using an alternative term for clinic comes after widespread protests against the enforcement of mandatory hijab and the emphasis on optional covering, which is framed as a 'disease.' After much criticism on this matter, Mirshamsi added: 'The use of the term 'clinic' in no way implies a pathological view of individuals involved in unveiling, and such an approach has never existed in the Headquarters.' Following the announcement of the Headquarters' decision to establish these centers, many users on social media criticized this action as a sign of 'institutional resistance' within the Islamic Republic. After the protests in September 2022, sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in custody over hijab issues, the stance on optional covering and public opposition to mandatory hijab in Iran has taken on unprecedented dimensions from both citizens and the government. However, some supporters of the Islamic Republic on Persian Clubhouse have referred to the establishment of these clinics as a cover for the allocation of large budgets and the misappropriation of public funds, given the ineffectiveness of police and judicial efforts to address this phenomenon.