Resumption of Government Crackdown on Opponents of Mandatory Hijab; Social Media Users: We Disgust You

With the onset of another round of the Islamic Republic's police crackdown on opponents of mandatory hijab, titled "Noor Plan," several social media users criticized the government's resort to violent methods, predicting that the authorities' efforts would again fail. One user wrote, "We disgust you." Abbasali Mohammadian, the commander of Greater Tehran Police, announced on Saturday, April 14, that the police in Tehran, like in other provinces, would confront individuals who, according to him, promote "social anomalies such as hijab violation." Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has recently referred to mandatory hijab as a "religious and legal restriction" and unveiled hijab as "religiously and politically forbidden," calling for action against "religious violations." These statements have sparked significant criticism. The Greater Tehran Police commander described adherence to mandatory hijab as "law" and equated unveiling with "lawbreaking." This is occurring while the bill known as "Chastity and Hijab" has not yet become law due to multiple objections raised by the Guardian Council. Mansoureh Hosseini Yeganeh, a journalist and women's rights activist, believes that "the only tool for the Islamic Republic to assert itself is the issue of mandatory hijab and direct confrontation with the people." Abbasali Mohammadian cited "public demand" as one of the reasons for implementing the "Noor Plan." However, according to a survey by the Shargh Network, affiliated with Shargh newspaper, 84% of the public opposed the requirement for women to observe hijab. Mohammadian stated that the crackdown on opponents of mandatory hijab would occur in three areas: public spaces, vehicles, and locations. He mentioned that the initial stage of addressing those in favor of optional hijab would involve a warning to the "offending individual" after identifying them using "advanced technology and equipment," after which the individual would be referred to the judiciary. Concurrently, the Fars News Agency, close to intelligence agencies, reported the temporary detention of the wife and daughter of Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, a veteran football goalkeeper, for "unveiling." According to this report, Nafiseh Latifian and Negar Abedzadeh were temporarily detained and later released for what was described as "creating tension and conflict with the agents." As the police plan to confront women opposing mandatory hijab is implemented, many social media users criticized this plan, deeming it ineffective. A user named "Hossein Faqihi" described his observations of the "terrifying" arrest of a 17-year-old girl for opposing mandatory hijab, stating that "more than 20 people shouted 'shameless' as they accompanied the police officers." Abouzar Zaman, son of Hossein Zaman, a banned singer and government critic who passed away last year, wrote: "This narrative shows why we disgust you, why we are angry. Rest assured, the people will not leave this hatred and anger unanswered." Minou Momeni, a journalist, criticized the "mobilization against hijab violation" in light of the country's economic and security issues. Motahareh Ghonei, a suspended and exiled student activist from Tehran University’s dentistry program, addressed Ahmadreza Radan, the commander of the Islamic Republic's police, saying: "Mr. Radan! By God, it was not these women and girls and the people of Iran who attacked the consular building! Why have you not learned from 1401 and continue to be hostile to the people?" The "Progressive Students" group stated on their social media about the Islamic Republic's efforts to enforce mandatory hijab: "The more you inflame the community on various issues, we will not only respond more firmly but will also not allow our fellow fighters for freedom, secularism, equality, and modernity to be attacked, but we will advance the revolution of 'Women, Life, Freedom' with even greater strength." This student organization emphasized: "We have taken the hijab trench, and it is you who will be pushed back by us. We will move forward, and by taking the next trenches, we will bring your criminal regime closer to the brink of destruction and overthrow every day more than the previous days." The Left Party of Iran also wrote on its website "Be Pish": "Hijab is both a goal and a means to divert public attention from the regime's internal and external crises, which are becoming increasingly complicated, and the regime has shown that it has not been able to resolve any of them so far." According to this party, "Khamenei also wants to divert the growing public attention from economic, social, and political crises to another direction and, by intensifying the atmosphere of repression, prepare the ground for the replacement of Mojtaba Khamenei in his place." The Left Party of Iran also noted that "Khamenei is trying to prevent the expansion of protests targeting his regime by mobilizing fascist gangs of vigilantes and sending them against society" and added: "In a situation where dissatisfaction and protests are expanding and intensifying, especially the expansion of livelihood protests due to the rapid increase in living costs and the continuous decline in people's purchasing power, ending the people's protests has become much more difficult for the regime than before and has become almost impossible." This political party also stated that "the regime is not only facing women who demand full equality in all areas with men but is facing the majority of society that does not want the regime. That is why it has gathered thieves, embezzlers, rent-seekers, and despised thugs around itself. Its war is, in fact, a war between evil and goodness."