Parliament Claims to Have Resolved 'Two Ambiguities'; 'Hijab and Chastity' Bill Back in Guardian Council's Court

More than two weeks after the spokesperson for the Guardian Council stated that the latest version of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill still contained 'two ambiguities' that had been returned to the parliament, a member of the Legal and Judicial Commission announced today, August 30, that the two remaining 'ambiguities' have been 'resolved' and the bill has been sent back to the Guardian Council. Mousa Ghazanfari Abadi told ILNA news agency that 'the ambiguities have been resolved in recent days and the bill has been sent to the Guardian Council,' emphasizing, 'If this bill does not face any further objections or ambiguities, it will be approved and implemented.' According to the law, the Guardian Council has ten days to announce its opinion on parliamentary approvals and can extend this period for another ten days if necessary. The spokesperson for the Guardian Council stated on Saturday, August 13, during a press conference that the latest version of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill had 'two ambiguities that representatives must decide on.' Hadi Tahan Nazif also emphasized that 'the authority in this regard lies with the parliament.' Given these statements, the objections of the Guardian Council to the controversial 'Hijab and Chastity' bill and its return to the parliament for the fourth time raised questions about which issues had not been amended by the representatives according to the Guardian Council's demands. Previously, during the back-and-forth between the parliament and the Guardian Council on May 10 of this year, the head of the parliament's Judicial Commission stated that the commission had addressed the Guardian Council's objections to the bill and sent it back to the council, stating, 'We are waiting for the Guardian Council's opinion.' Earlier, in December of last year, the spokesperson for the Guardian Council announced the rejection of the revised 'Hijab and Chastity' bill and stated that it had been referred back to the parliament for necessary amendments. Hadi Tahan Nazif emphasized that the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill had 'multiple objections and ambiguities' that the parliament had 'not fully addressed.' Before this case, on December 22, 2022, the 'High Supervisory Board' in the Expediency Discernment Council announced that the amended bill from the parliament regarding the 'Hijab and Chastity' was not considered 'inconsistent' with the 'general policies of the system,' and therefore, this bill was approved in the Expediency Discernment Council. This bill was first rejected by the Guardian Council in November 2022, and according to the spokesperson of this council on Tuesday, November 2, this bill was returned to the parliament after being reviewed in ten expert sessions for resolving ambiguities and objections. The 'Hijab and Chastity' bill, which was prepared in nine articles by the judiciary and sent to the government and then to the parliament with 15 articles, was approved by the parliament through Article 85 of the Constitution with 72 articles after being reviewed in the 'Judicial and Legal Commission.' According to Article 85 of the Constitution, the parliament can delegate the review and approval of certain bills and proposals to its commissions, and after approval in the commission, it can be sent to the Guardian Council for final approval without the need for discussion and voting in the public session. The controversial 'Hijab and Chastity' bill was also approved in this way and, if finally approved by the Guardian Council, will be implemented on an 'experimental' basis for three years. This bill has faced widespread criticism both inside and outside Iran. Several UN special rapporteurs, including Javaid Rehman, condemned the approval of this bill and called for an immediate halt to its approval. The future of the so-called 'Hijab' bill after the appointment of the new head of government, from the perspective of Fatemeh Haqiqatjou, is a hint at Ghalibaf's promise to PourMohammadi about retracting the Hijab and Chastity bill. Roghieh Rezaei stated: 'The Hijab bill aims to take away the breathing space from Iranian women.' The parliament fears accepting responsibility for this bill. The spokesperson for the Guardian Council again declared the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill to be 'ambiguous.' The government's insistence on enforcing 'mandatory hijab'; a police official stated that the change of government will not disrupt the implementation of the 'Noor Plan.' A senior UN official criticized the continuation of violent crackdowns in Iran. The 'Guidance Patrol' agents harass opponents of mandatory hijab and their families. The 'Hijab and Chastity' bill is on the verge of implementation; defenders of the Islamic Republic admit that hijab is not supported among government officials. A newspaper report indicated dissatisfaction among merchants due to a 60% drop in sales due to the presence of the Guidance Patrol. Khamenei's representative in Kayhan newspaper called for replacing the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill with the 'Noor Plan.'