Statement from 15 'Religious Thinkers': The Era of 'Hijab or Beaten' is Over Forever

A group of 'religious thinkers' inside and outside Iran has explicitly opposed the 'government's opportunism in repressing women again,' emphasizing that the era of 'hijab or beaten' is 'over and irreversible.' The 15 signatories of the statement described the renewed 'street confrontation' of the Islamic Republic with Iranian women as 'a stark image of the government's predation against half of Iran's thriving society' and warned that 'these inhumane actions will certainly claim victims but cannot overcome this civil resistance.' These 'religious thinkers' characterized the government's 'sick behaviors' as lacking 'any legal and moral legitimacy' and causing 'irreparable damage' to the 'national integrity' of Iranians. Following the resumption of another round of detentions of opponents of mandatory hijab in public spaces across Iranian cities starting from April 14, reports have emerged regarding violent encounters between government agents and unveiled women, resulting in the arrest of several individuals. Zahra Nejad Behrani, a former member of Tehran's City Council, reported in a note in the Thursday edition of the newspaper 'Etemad' that at least '500 people' were arrested on the first day of confrontations with opponents of mandatory hijab. The signatories of the statement pointed out the existence of 'unprecedented internal, regional, and international mega-crises,' emphasizing that 'this regime sees Iranian women as more of an enemy than its armed foreign adversaries.' Among the signatories are Mohammad Javad Akbarin, Hassan Yusefi Eshkouri, Reza Alijani, Soroush Dabbagh, Zhila Mohaddes Shari'at Panahi, and Yaser Mirdamadi. They wrote to Iran's rulers: 'The civil disobedience of women against mandatory hijab in many cities is more widespread than can be controlled by sending a few loud, aggressive, black-clad individuals to a few locations and squares in the cities.' This group of 'religious thinkers' warned the country's rulers once again to avoid fighting hand-to-hand with Iranian women and to recognize the diversity of thoughts and lifestyles. In recent days, social media users, including some supporters of the regime, have criticized the repression of women under the pretext of 'mandatory hijab,' considering it a sign of the 'weakness' of the Islamic Republic. Following a directive from Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on April 11, regarding dealing with 'religious norm-breaking,' the police command of the Islamic Republic announced the start of another round of efforts to enforce mandatory hijab.