Secretary of the 'Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters' Confirms Formation of 'Hijab Headquarters' by Raisi Under the Interior Minister's Supervision

Nearly a year after the controversies surrounding the actions of 'self-appointed forces' and 'fire-at-will' groups against people under the pretext of optional hijab, and various directives aimed at restricting services and confronting women with optional hijab, the secretary of the 'Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters' announced President Ebrahim Raisi's order in May 2023 to establish the 'Chastity and Hijab Headquarters' under the leadership of the Interior Minister. This 'headquarters' is the same entity from which various 'confidential directives' have emerged, attempting to impose mandatory hijab 'rigorously' on Iranian society. Last autumn, the newspaper 'Etemad' reported that 'the basis for the activities of hijab enforcers is based on a directive issued by the Ministry of Interior in June.' The published document related to the Ministry of Interior's directive on dealing with 'improper hijab.' On December 5, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office filed a case against the newspaper 'Etemad' for publishing a 'confidential document,' leading to a judicial case against the newspaper. Later, the Press Court found the newspaper guilty for publishing the Ministry of Interior's 'confidential' letter titled 'Behind the Scenes of Hijab Enforcers.' The publication of this letter was significant because the Interior Minister had criticized the presence of 'hijab enforcers' in public spaces, stating, 'We did not give any special permission for this. In fact, under the pretext of promoting virtue and preventing vice, apparently, grassroots groups are acting, and their work is within this framework.' Meanwhile, the document published by Etemad indicated a detailed guideline for dealing with citizens, businesses, and other sectors of society. Now, over a year later, the secretary of the 'Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters' has confirmed the existence of an entity that had previously been the subject of much speculation, following Raisi's order to establish the 'Chastity and Hijab Headquarters.' According to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Hossein Taheri Akhardi stated that the 'Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters' is one of the members of this 'headquarters' alongside other institutions. The secretary emphasized that 'our headquarters' responsibilities in the area of hijab have been transferred to this entity after the establishment of the 'Chastity and Hijab Headquarters,' and 'so far' there has been no request from this entity 'for our entry' into the 'Noor Plan.' This official also mentioned that 'the Noor Plan is a security operation,' and Faraja is directly involved with this plan. Taheri Akhardi claimed that many of the videos of confrontations with violators that have circulated on social media in recent days 'are from last year, which are being re-shared as this year's confrontations.' These statements come as a review of Ebrahim Raisi's comments during the presidential election indicates that he promised to transfer the hijab issue from the Ministry of Interior to the 'Ministry of Culture' and considered the implementation of hijab policies by the Ministry of Interior a mistake. After the election period and with greater control over governance by the government, Raisi's approach, according to some analysts, has become closer to the approaches known in the '1980s.' In this context, on July 9, 2023, Raisi, without referring to his previous promises, stated that there should be no delay in the approval of the new 'Hijab and Chastity' bill. Raisi emphasized that various governmental bodies must act according to their duties, regardless of whether the bill is approved or not. The website Khabar Online also reported on October 14, 2023, that one of the most important campaign promises of the president in the 2021 election was to transfer the hijab issue from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Culture, but it seems that with the finalization of the Chastity and Hijab bill, the coordination secretariat for hijab will be established in the Ministry of Interior. Khabar Online described this event as another instance of Raisi's electoral promises being overlooked. Some experts believe that the transfer of roles from the Ministry of Culture to the Ministry of Interior signifies a shift in 'Hijab and Chastity' policies from a cultural issue to a security one. This shift, given the security nature of the Ministry of Interior, will reinforce coercive measures over persuasive and proactive tools. This approach of Ebrahim Raisi's government, alongside Ali Khamenei's order to confront women and establish the 'Noor Plan,' has created a very concerning social atmosphere for women in the country. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in his speech during the Eid al-Fitr prayer on April 11, ordered the 'promoters of virtue,' whom he had previously described as 'fire-at-will,' to confront 'religious norm violations.' Hours after Khamenei's order, the police announced that they would implement a plan to combat women's optional dress starting from Saturday, April 14. Amnesty International reported in a document published in March 2024 that 'Iranian authorities are trying to eliminate resistance to compulsory hijab following the nationwide protests of 'Women, Life, Freedom,' seeking to instill fear in women and girls, disrupting their daily lives and causing severe psychological distress.' The new dimensions of the repression of women in Iran under the pretext of compulsory hijab; users: the Noor Plan is a plan of force. Students at Amir Kabir University in Tehran were prevented from entering due to not wearing compulsory hijab. Protests against the 'suppression' of optional dress; several students at Amir Kabir University refused to attend their classes. Tensions over compulsory hijab escalated; Shariatmadari says Khamenei has no spokesperson. The continuation of 'suppression of optional dress' in Iran; the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic praised government agents. Students were prevented from entering the Polytechnic University of Tehran; the 'Noor Plan' has reached universities. The continuation of threats against women despite widespread protests; Faraja: the 'Noor Plan' will continue with strength.