Semnan IRGC Announces Implementation of Mandatory Hijab Plan Called 'Taravat'

A few days after unofficial reports about the approval of the bill known as 'Chastity and Hijab' by the Guardian Council, the Semnan IRGC announced the implementation of the 'Taravat' plan related to the enforcement of mandatory hijab. Mansour Shoghani, the commander of the 'Qaem Al-Mohammad' IRGC in Semnan, stated that the plan will utilize 'the capacity of executive and service agencies in Semnan province.' On Tuesday, October 16, during a meeting of the Public Culture Council of Semnan province held at the office of the province's Friday prayer leader, he added that this plan will be implemented 'soon and with the focus on the people,' and 'in line with promoting the culture of chastity and hijab in the province.' Although this military commander did not provide details about the plan, previous initiatives against what is termed 'bad hijab,' including the plan known as 'Noor,' have involved the use of force and violence by the implementers. Reactions to the news of the 'approval of the hijab bill' by the Guardian Council; 'Greetings to Gender Apartheid.' This news was shared with the media about ten days after two members of parliament announced the approval of the bill known as 'Chastity and Hijab' by the Guardian Council. Meanwhile, this news has not yet been officially announced by this body, and the overall Islamic Consultative Assembly has not published such news either. The unofficial news of the 'approval' of this bill has been provocative as it seems that some supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian expected that, given his electoral promises regarding women's dignity and his statements in his first press conference about pursuing to 'not harass' women by the morality police, this bill would also remain silent. It is still unclear when the Guardian Council and the Islamic Consultative Assembly will officially announce the 'approval' of this bill. The first reports of the 'approval' of this bill coincided with the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini while in custody of the morality police over hijab. Spokesperson of the Cultural Commission of the Parliament: The Guardian Council has approved the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill. Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government spokesperson, in her latest press conference, in response to a question about the possibility of retracting the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill, said: 'Mr. Pezeshkian's approach as the head of Chastity and Hijab is clear, and he has repeatedly stated that cultural issues cannot be imposed by force.' Without providing a clear answer, she added: 'We are seeking precise expert work that considers the interests of the system. Issues are being pursued.' The newspaper 'Ham-Mihan' recently reacted to the statements of Morteza Aghatehrani, the head of the Cultural Commission of the Parliament, who claimed that the implementation of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill could 'solve about four-fifths of cultural issues,' stating: 'Your childbearing law has resulted in nothing but horrific inflation and a decrease in birth rates. You do not have a useful law even for economic issues, let alone cultural issues that do not have a punitive solution according to the consensus of rational people.'