Parliament Delegates Approval of 'Chastity and Hijab' Bill to a Joint Commission

In today's session, following the receipt of a proposal presented by several members of parliament, if approved by the parliament, the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill will be approved in a joint commission and sent directly to the Guardian Council without a vote in the Islamic Consultative Assembly. According to this proposal, the parliament will review and approve the bill according to Article 85 of the Constitution. This decision was made prior to the public session in a closed meeting of the 'Revolutionary Fraction,' which holds the majority in parliament, and was announced in the public session. According to Article 85 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution, bills or proposals can be reviewed, approved, and sent to the Guardian Council in a joint commission by the parliament's decision, and if approved by the Guardian Council, will be implemented 'on a trial basis.' Mo'in al-Din Saidi, in an interview with ILNA news agency about today's closed session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated: 'In today's closed session, representatives agreed to the approval of the Chastity and Hijab bill under Article 85 through a consultative vote.' This parliament member emphasized: 'This consultative vote, in my opinion, increases concerns about this issue because society feels that it will be reviewed in the joint commission regardless of their eyes and opinions, and the same thing that happened with the Protection Plan will happen with this bill without the expert opinions of the majority of representatives being taken into account.' Regarding the number of votes obtained in this consultative vote, he said: '171 votes were in favor, meaning that about 74% of representatives supported the approval of the Chastity and Hijab bill under Article 85, and only 40 opposed it.' Thus, given the proposal made and the decision of the 'majority' faction of parliament, it seems that the review of this bill in the public session and its approval by all representatives will be ruled out. According to a member of the parliament's presiding board, this proposal will be put to a vote next week, and if approved, a joint commission will be formed to approve the bill and send it to the Guardian Council. A few years ago, a plan known as the 'Protection Plan,' which aimed to impose more control and restrictions in cyberspace, was reviewed in the same manner, which led to widespread protests and was ultimately left unaddressed. In recent days, the publication of details of the so-called 'Hijab and Chastity' bill has sparked a wave of criticism among legal experts and political and social activists. This bill initially had 9 articles, which increased to 15 in the government and was ultimately organized by the parliament's judicial commission in 70 articles, even covering cyberspace. The 'Hijab and Chastity' law also applies to men and penalizes wearing clothing that is 'against public modesty,' such as 'revealing clothing' or clothing that exposes parts of the body 'below the chest or above the calf or shoulder.' This bill, titled 'Support for Families through Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab,' has mandated the Ministry of Economy to provide banking facilities to organizations active in the field of hijab and chastity and to calculate the cost of producing and supplying hijab-related products 'as a tax expense.' The 'Hijab and Chastity' bill has requested the state broadcaster to prepare and announce content regulations related to 'Islamic family-centered lifestyle' for home viewing within the next two months. The bill requests the Ministry of Science to establish universities and university campuses specifically for women. It has asked the Ministry of Health to arrange administrative layouts in the headquarters of hospitals, universities, and other centers affiliated with this ministry in such a way that 'Sharia boundaries' between male and female employees are respected and the presence of non-mahram is avoided. The hijab bill has obliged the Ministry of Communications to launch the national information network 'as soon as possible.' According to reports, the fines for violators will be deducted from the individual's bank account and deposited into the treasury of the country. In recent months, the Islamic Republic has extended its campaign against voluntary hijab to include the closure of businesses and even online sales companies and cultural and artistic platforms. Despite severe criticism, Islamic Republic officials emphasize the 'deterrent' nature of the fines. Even supporters of hijab say that only forty percent of society supports hijab; the government is pursuing a bill that extremists are not satisfied with; closures continue, and requests for flogging punishment persist. Details of the hijab and chastity bill of Ibrahim Raisi's government; protests from legal experts and the public in the space. Mohammad Hossein Aghasi: The hijab and chastity bill has been hastily prepared. Criticism of the hijab and chastity bill has escalated - it promotes unfair discrimination. Another page of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill; filmmakers must commit to 'hijab.' Abolfazl Ghadiani: The second wave of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement will sooner or later overthrow Khamenei and his regime. Opposition to the fine for the driver on the grounds of 'bad hijab of the passenger' in the hijab bill; they are pitting people against each other. Continued criticism of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill; users: a way for the government to earn income. Continued criticism of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill; a legal expert: 'harmful and terrifying.'