Women Without Hijab Attend Concert at Interior Ministry; Calls to Repeal Mandatory Hijab Law

Amid the significant presence of women without mandatory hijab at the Interior Ministry hall to watch Salar Aghili's concert, the reformist party "Unity of the Nation" called for the "repeal of the mandatory hijab law." Images of women opposing the hijab in the Interior Ministry hall, just weeks after the introduction of the mandatory hijab bill under the guise of "Chastity and Hijab," have sparked numerous reactions among social media users. The concert took place on Friday, June 9, in two sessions at 6 PM and 9 PM in Tehran's Interior Ministry hall. While the Interior Ministry is considered one of the government's arms for intensifying actions against opponents of the mandatory hijab, many social media users noted the concert's revenue as significant for this ministry, highlighting the contradiction in the Islamic Republic's approach towards the private and public sectors regarding the enforcement of the mandatory hijab. Historian Hossein Dehghashi emphasized his opposition to the mandatory hijab on Twitter, questioning whether the income from this concert is considered "politically permissible". Previously, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, declared that being without hijab is "religiously forbidden" and "politically forbidden". Sociologist and media activist Abbas Abdi also viewed the large presence of hijab-less women at the Interior Ministry hall as further evidence of the government's inability to enforce the mandatory hijab. Iranian officials have yet to respond to this news. In recent months, the Iranian government has shut down hundreds of businesses, restaurants, recreational centers, sports clubs, tourist complexes, pharmacies, and even doctors' offices to enforce the mandatory hijab. Earlier, Shahla Shafigh, a writer and sociologist, described the enforcement of the mandatory hijab as a means for the government to generate revenue. In its final version of the "Support for Chastity and Hijab" bill, the Iranian government has threatened owners and managers of public and private establishments with warnings and closures to enforce the mandatory hijab. The "Unity of the Nation" party also condemned the "security and criminalizing approach to the issue of hijab" in a statement on Saturday, June 20, and once again called for the repeal of the mandatory hijab law. This reformist party described the "Hijab and Chastity" bill as a violation of citizens' basic rights and an example of economic and social sanctions, stating that the government's insistence on continuing a police and security approach leads to "increased dissatisfaction in society". According to the drafted bill, the responsibility for dealing with opponents of the mandatory hijab is solely placed on the police. This bill has not yet been finalized, and some government supporters have called for harsher penalties for women opposing the mandatory hijab. Mansoureh Hosseini Yeganeh stated that the claim of resolving the hijab issue is incorrect and that they have even tightened the restrictions. The "Chastity and Hijab" bill and the imposition of financial penalties on citizens; women's civil resistance continues. A parliamentary representative criticized the "political and social blockage": the country's situation is "undesirable". Elnaz Rekabi's presence with a property bail in her first global tournament after the "hijab controversy". An actor's farewell from the art scene; Hengameh Ghaziani says she will leave acting. The final version of the "Chastity and Hijab" bill; employees' rights will be reduced if mandatory hijab is discovered.