The 'Chastity and Hijab' Bill on the Verge of Implementation; Acknowledgment from Supporters of the Islamic Republic: Hijab Has No Support Among Government Officials

As civil disobedience continues against the restriction of individual and social freedoms for women, several members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly have stated that the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill has been 'prepared for implementation' after addressing its 'deficiencies.' Meanwhile, many have warned that if this bill is enacted, it will severely limit the individual freedoms of women and girls. According to reports from state-run news agencies in Iran on Tuesday, May 13, Ahmad Rastin, spokesperson for the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced that 'all deficiencies of the Chastity and Hijab bill have been resolved and it is ready for implementation.' Rastin also claimed that the 'lack of regulation in the virtual space' in Iran 'has caused problems and this space needs to be organized.' On the other hand, the IRNA news agency quoted Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, head of the Judicial and Legal Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stating that 'the main work of identifying and introducing' women and girls who do not comply with mandatory hijab will be 'based on a system,' meaning that 'identification and enforcement of fines will be done through cameras.' This member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also mentioned that individuals, including 'celebrities,' who he claims 'want to work organized,' or 'certain specific crimes like those who ride behind motorcycles' should be immediately arrested by the police. Ghazanfarabadi commented on the uncertainty of the amount of fines while the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill has been finalized and sent to the Guardian Council, without announcing a specific figure, saying, 'I need to calculate,' and added, 'the amount of fines in the submitted bill is known to everyone'; 'the execution of its rulings is for later' and 'the rest of the matter is related to the executive domain.' These statements from members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly come amid ongoing violent confrontations with women and girls in public spaces in Iranian cities. The recent differences of opinion among officials and forces of the Islamic Republic regarding how to deal with the issue of mandatory hijab continue. One of the latest events in this regard is the reaction of Abdolreza Davari to the statements of Aboutrabe Fazl, a mid-level manager in the Ministry of Defense, who said, 'Whether we like it or not, the reality of today's modern society is the clarity and audacity of social groups in expressing their demands. The solution is certainly not judicial and security confrontation. We must listen to the voices and choose a rational strategy. Because governing in a glass room is much harder than ruling in dark and convoluted corners.' Abdolreza Davari, a media figure of the Islamic Republic and advisor to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reacted to this statement by saying that when a manager from 'one of the subsidiaries of the Ministry of Defense openly supports the unveiling of girls on Enqelab Street on Instagram, when hijab has no support among the managers of Raisi's government, what do you expect from the people?' On the other hand, ISNA news agency reported that Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, a member of the Cultural Revolution Council, said that although 'there are economic problems in the country,' the 'issue of hijab is as important as economic issues' and claimed that neglecting the enforcement of mandatory hijab 'will lead to the destruction of the family unit.' Simultaneously with Rahimpour Azghadi's statements, images of a woman with a movement disability using a walker to sell goods in the subway have been circulated on social media. A user on the X social network shared her photos, asking, 'Why should this woman sell goods in the subway with a walker? Why are none of the hijab defenders concerned about such pains - which are not insignificant?' The leader of the Islamic Republic, on April 11, in a speech during Eid al-Fitr prayers, issued a new order to the 'promoters of virtue' whom he had previously described as 'fire at will,' asking them to confront what he called 'religious norm-breaking.' Hours after this order, the police commander announced that the plan to confront women's optional clothing would be implemented starting Saturday, April 14. Since that day, the Islamic Republic has deployed its government forces and plainclothes agents in the streets of various Iranian cities under the 'Noor Plan,' but despite widespread arrests, civil resistance against it continues. The intensification of strict measures regarding mandatory hijab has been accompanied by widespread criticism from human rights organizations. Among them, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also issued a statement in May, referring to the increasing repression of women and girls in Iran due to 'defiance' of mandatory hijab laws, calling for more sanctions against Islamic Republic officials, including security officials.