Naser Makarem Shirazi: Hijab is not compulsory, it is mandatory

Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric in Qom, criticized the use of the term "compulsory hijab" due to its "negative connotation" and stated that if the approach to hijab violations becomes "lenient," the "Islamic nature of the Islamic Republic will be undermined." In a meeting with Hossein Ashtari, the commander of the police force, Makarem Shirazi claimed that "the counter-revolution is committed to removing hijab from Islam" to "strike at Islam and the Islamic system." He also mentioned that those without hijab should be treated "friendlily and respectfully," but "the approach to those who challenge hijab should differ from others." This Shia cleric asserted that "there is no difference of opinion among Islamic jurists on the issue of hijab." These remarks come despite Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq Fayyaz, one of the four prominent clerics in Najaf, stating in 2016 that "using force and coercion to promote hijab is ineffective." Some Shia clerics also believe that hijab is a changeable ruling. For instance, Hassan Yousofi Ashkouri, a Shia cleric, stated in 2000 at the Berlin conference that social rulings of Islam, including hijab, are subject to change. He was accused of apostasy and sentenced to death for this statement, although the ruling was eventually overturned, and he served five years in prison in addition to being stripped of his clerical status. Several political figures, such as Mostafa Tajzadeh, have also opposed the mandatory hijab, and Alireza Beheshti, son of Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, the first head of Iran's Supreme Court after the revolution, stated that his father opposed mandatory hijab and did not enforce it until his last day in the judiciary. Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Iazi, a prominent student of Ayatollah Montazeri, also mentioned on March 7 that Morteza Motahhari, Mohammad Beheshti, and Taleghani believed that "governmental enforcement of hijab is not a religious or legal matter." In his remarks, Makarem Shirazi called for the removal of the discussion on "compulsory hijab, which has a negative meaning," and for it to be transformed into a legal obligation. He explained the difference between the two terms, stating that "obligation means having a legal requirement, while compulsion means illogical imposition." Makarem Shirazi emphasized that "hijab is an Islamic law that is emphasized in various verses and must be observed, and violating any law is akin to violating other laws." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, referred to the public protests against mandatory hijab in Tehran and other cities over the past two months as "small and insignificant" and criticized the "discussion of mandatory hijab by some elites." The day after, Friday prayer leaders in various cities of Iran emphasized the enforcement of the "hijab ruling," and simultaneously, a member of the Assembly of Experts stated that this "ruling" would be enforced "to the blind eyes of the opponents." Following this, Ahmad Jannati, the head of the Assembly of Experts, described the protests against mandatory hijab as "a type of promoting immorality and vice." Public protests against mandatory hijab began in December and have led to the arrest of over 35 women, including Vida Mohaddes, Narges Hosseini, Azam Jangrooyi, Shaparak Shajari Zadeh, and Maryam Shariati, who were arrested and later released. Narges Hosseini, known as the "second girl of Enghelab Street," has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, with 21 months of that sentence suspended and only three months to be served. In this context, Salheshouri stated that women have become the red line of the Islamic Republic. Narges Hosseini, the second "girl of Enghelab Street," stated she is not regretful. The head of Tehran's police declared there would be no leniency in dealing with hijab protesters. The movement against mandatory hijab is a social movement. Khamenei remarked that they have spent so much to ensure that a few girls remove their headscarves. Friday prayer leaders warned about hijab, stating, "We will enforce this ruling to the blind eyes of the opponents." The significance of headscarf removal is important for Khamenei. The second girl of Enghelab Street stated that despite the prison sentence, she still opposes mandatory hijab. Jannati criticized clerics and hijab protesters after being reinstated in the Assembly of Experts. The news of the year, as chosen by the audience of Radio Farda, is the girls of Enghelab Street.