Mowlavi Abdolhamid Calls for 'Respect for Women and Their Demands' and Freedom for Political Prisoners

Following the resumption of the 'Guidance Patrol' and the support of Islamic Republic officials for this action, Mowlavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday Imam of Zahedan, tweeted: 'Past experience has shown that coercion and enforcement regarding hijab and closing people's businesses has been an ineffective policy and has increased dissatisfaction.' He added: 'An effective solution is wisdom and respect for women, attention to their demands, and the freedom of political prisoners, especially women.' This comes as the head of the Tehran City Council announced on Tuesday, July 18, the news of 'gender segregation' in the metro cars of the capital, emphasizing that mandatory hijab, like in the streets, must also be observed in the metro. Mehdi Chamran stressed the necessity of 'gender separation' in metro cars, stating: 'This issue has been operationalized.' He said: 'Observing hijab in the metro and streets is no different, and all individuals must comply. The separation of metro cars for women and men must be implemented, which has been operationalized.' The spokesperson for the judiciary of the Islamic Republic also referred to the issue of 'chastity and hijab,' stating: 'We strongly emphasize that in enforcing the law, all individuals and law enforcement officials do not have the right to deviate from legal limits, and the law must be executed without any reduction or increase.' The deputy commander of the Islamic Republic's police also stated: 'The enemy's goal is to lead unaware individuals towards immodesty and nudity, but chastity and hijab are among the fundamental principles of Islam and the revolution, and the police will certainly not allow the enemy to achieve its goals.' The controversy surrounding the return of the 'Guidance Patrol' to the streets has also caused confusion among government officials, with state-affiliated media coordinating to deny Ibrahim Raisi's role in this action, while government officials supported it. The Tasnim news agency reacted to this event, stating that some state media reported that 'the order of the heads of the executive and judicial branches' for implementing the plan to combat immodesty was not accurate. Tasnim emphasizes that in the video clip released by Montazeralmahdi, the spokesperson for the police, he explicitly states that the police plan is being carried out following public demands and 'the emphasis of the heads of the executive and judicial branches.' This media outlet affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards emphasizes that state media had published the Montazeralmahdi clip while retaining the part where the president emphasized it, and this still exists in some of these media. Yesterday, the office of the U.S. special envoy for Iran expressed concern via a tweet regarding reports of the 'renewed repression' of women in Iran by the 'so-called moral security police' for enforcing mandatory hijab regulations. The tweet stated: 'It seems the regime has learned nothing from the protests. Women and girls everywhere should be allowed to wear whatever they want.' A senior White House official also defended the 'inalienable right' of the people to 'make decisions' and also 'Iranian women' to 'choose their attire,' stating: 'The people of Iran should now be able to make decisions for themselves, and women should choose their own attire, and the U.S. must exert more pressure on the Islamic Republic.' John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, in a press conference on Monday, in response to a question about the return of the 'Guidance Patrol,' said: 'After the killing of Mahsa Amini and the public protests, the people of Iran should now be able to make decisions for themselves, and women should choose their own attire.'