The Major Barrier of 'Civil Disobedience by Women' Against the Islamic Republic; Reactions to the 'Hijab and Chastity Bill'

Islamic Republic officials, while adopting a policy of 'people against people' to address the issue of 'improper hijab', are attempting to give a legal face to the fight against 'the right to choose clothing', but they have disagreed on the extent and manner of dealing with the public. Fars News Agency reported on May 24 that the 'Bill for the Support of Chastity and Hijab', which was sent to the government at the suggestion of the Judiciary, was submitted to the Speaker of the Parliament after being approved by the government. According to this bill, police officers, who are considered judicial agents, are required to issue a warning to individuals who uncover their hijab in public or in virtual spaces using modern technologies and systems such as text messages. Fars reported that in the case of repeated uncovering of the hijab, a progressively increasing fine will be imposed on the 'offending' individual. Additionally, the bill states that in cases of partial nudity or wearing thin, body-revealing, or tight clothing in public or virtual spaces, the 'offender' will be fined between 1 to 8 million tomans. The Kayhan newspaper, which is overseen by Ali Khamenei, reacted to this bill by stating: 'It is not only not deterrent but has also facilitated improper hijab.' According to ISNA, Nadri, a member of the Parliament's board of directors, stated that the bill for the support of 'chastity and hijab' has reached the Islamic Consultative Assembly from the government, and representatives intend to prioritize its review next week with a request for urgency. On the other hand, Mohammad Taghi Naghdali, a member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Parliament, criticized this bill, saying: 'Unfortunately, I do not understand why the Judiciary has approached this with such a minimalistic view rather than a deterrent one, and unfortunately, in some cases, not only has the command for good and prohibition of evil not been strengthened, but it has also been weakened.' Furthermore, Ahmad Alireza Beigi, a representative from Tabriz, referred to the actions taken for hijab and told Rouydad24: 'Closing commercial complexes and shops is illegal. It is unreasonable to expect merchants in a commercial complex, for example, a market, to roll up their sleeves and confront improper hijab. If the law enforcement system claims to have such capability and can identify individuals without hijab, then law enforcement officers should go and fulfill their duties after identifying those individuals.' These remarks were directed at the police commander, who had stated earlier in Farvardin that starting from Ordibehesht 26, 'those without hijab' would be identified in all public places in cities using smart cameras and dealt with accordingly. On Thursday, May 24, Ahmadreza Radan attended a meeting of the Cultural and Social Commission of the Assembly of Experts in Qom and explained the latest cultural and social status of the country, especially regarding hijab and chastity. The Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, who was also present at this meeting, stated: 'Opponents of hijab should be arrested, but since their numbers are large, this is not feasible.' Simultaneously, Kazem Sedighi, head of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters, also told a gathering of secretaries and managers of this headquarters in Isfahan: 'The Promotion of Virtue Headquarters must plan in such a way that it penetrates every family like a vein.' He also claimed that the mission of the prophets was the command for good and prohibition of evil. Estimates from the Open Data Platform of Iran indicate that 'the cost of imposing hijab on Iranian society' is at least between 40 to 45 trillion tomans annually. This amount is estimated to be equivalent to the total minimum monthly wages of 6 to 7 million workers in the year 1402. The online open forum; an opportunity for freely and unrestrictedly expressing your views. Shahla Shafigh: Mandatory hijab is the ideological flag of the regime, but they are also looking to profit from it. Conservatives are not satisfied with the Chastity and Hijab bill and the monetary fine for 'nudity'. The resistance of two teenage girls in Mazandaran against a man who is giving a hijab warning. The resistance of a girl and a boy in Amol against a woman who is giving a mandatory hijab warning. Civil resistance of a mother and daughter in Isfahan by walking without mandatory hijab. A conversation with two women in Iran about women's civil disobedience against mandatory hijab and turning it into a struggle against the government. Continued civil disobedience in Iran, women's walking in the streets without mandatory hijab. Support from a citizen for a woman against women giving mandatory hijab warnings. A rally in response to the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill; from 'protest resignations' to launching a virtual campaign. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Iran to decriminalize 'mandatory dress laws'. Protests by students at Shariati Girls' University in Tehran against the beating of a student without mandatory hijab. Milan hosts a photo exhibition of the lives of Iranian women; Farnaz Damani: They are 'powerful and brave'. Criticism from media supporting mandatory hijab against the 'Hijab Bill'; it diminishes the power of 'officer enforcement'. Sepideh Ghalean: In Iran, its poets sing songs of freedom in the streets and go to greet bullets with hope for a new day. Analytical report: The annual cost of imposing hijab is equivalent to the wages of millions of workers in Iran.