Reaction from Rouhani's Office to Makarem's Criticism: The Speech was Received with 'Distortion'

Following the sharp criticism from Nasser Makarem Shirazi regarding Hassan Rouhani's remarks about hijab and cyberspace, the Iranian President's office issued an official statement claiming that his words were 'distorted and cut.' Recently, Rouhani stated in a meeting with managers of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology about hijab: 'Unfortunately, in the matter of hijab, we start with women, while the Quran first admonishes men to avert their gaze; however, we go and arrest girls and women for hijab.' In the same session, the President explicitly questioned the policy of blocking social networks and websites in the Islamic Republic, adding, 'We must admit that we made a mistake. We thought that if we said the use of a certain feature was prohibited and filtered, everyone would listen to it. We saw that after filtering any feature, a circumvention tool was created.' Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric in Qom, reacted to these remarks by saying, 'The President made two statements about hijab and cyberspace, both of which were unfortunately offensive.' He reminded Rouhani, 'If we are, as the West says, the first power in the region, it is due to Islam; this must be preserved. You are the President of an Islamic Republic, not the President of a secular democratic country.' Jaafar Subhani, another Shia cleric residing in Qom, also implicitly deemed Hassan Rouhani unqualified to comment on hijab, stating, 'Those at the top should leave some matters for the religious authorities; you are not the all-knowing; economics, politics, etc., are for you; but religious rulings should be left for the religious authorities.' According to him, 'Hijab cannot be established merely through advice; it requires execution, enjoining good, and forbidding wrong.' The President's office, in response to these criticisms, without mentioning Makarem's name, stated: 'While respecting the opinions that stem from a commitment to preserving and safeguarding religious values and rulings, it is expected that any narrative or judgment regarding these remarks should refer to the text of the speech.' The statement noted that individuals should not be 'influenced by indirect narratives or distorted and cut versions that are sometimes politically motivated and destructive from certain factions.' The Rouhani office added that the President did not deny the 'religious necessity of hijab' and emphasized the need for 'cultural development and increasing media literacy among adolescents and youth' and spoke based on 'experience' about the failure of filtering in recent years. The statement also warned that, given the 'multi-layered conspiracies of enemies to create divisions and distrust between officials and the public, especially on the anniversary of the fortieth year of the revolution's victory, political figures, media, and trusted elites in society should maintain their solidarity.' The state-affiliated news agency IRNA also reported that Rouhani's remarks were 'distorted and cut,' referring to what it called the 'overt and covert goals of this distortion,' mentioning reports from several media critical of the government against Rouhani's statements and describing them as 'venting frustrations.' According to this report, some 'attempted to guide public opinion and political and religious figures toward an unrealistic and incorrect direction.' This news agency added that these 'narrative manipulations' occurred while 'the President's remarks clearly reflect the concerns of centers, institutions, and scholars and do not contradict the concerns of the religious community, which has been referred to as offensive.' IRNA defended Rouhani's remarks, stating that 'coercive, punitive, and obstructive methods have not led to anything but failure and defeat in recent years,' and he 'pointed out important points regarding cyberspace and the views of some individuals and centers for going down failed paths lacking scientific backing.' Since coming to power in Iran, Hassan Rouhani has always faced challenges with his rivals over cyberspace, and the government's efforts to allow women into stadiums and some political positions have also faced opposition.