Makarim Shirazi Criticizes Rouhani Government's 'Indifference' Towards 'Bad Hijab'

Ayatollah Naser Makarim Shirazi, a Shia religious authority, described Hassan Rouhani's government as 'indifferent' regarding the necessity of adhering to hijab laws in Iran and emphasized the 'mandatory' nature of hijab law in the country. During a ceremony at the Imam Musa Kazem seminary on Tuesday night, he introduced hijab as the 'honor' of Muslim women. Makarim Shirazi also added that hijab in Iran is a 'law' and 'no law exists without obligation.' Earlier this year, following an increase in public protests by some Iranian women against the compulsory hijab, he stated that 'some have misunderstood the meaning of compulsion and confused obligation with coercion.' According to him, there is no 'mandatory hijab' in Iran; instead, Islamic hijab is mentioned in the law alongside theft, alcohol consumption, and drug use, making it 'obligatory' without 'unreasonable imposition' in this regard. This comes amidst peaceful protests by several Iranian women against the compulsory hijab, which have led to significant arrests, and in some cases, police violence during these detentions. Some of these women have been released on bail, while at least two of them, Narges Hosseini and Maryam Shariati, have been sentenced to two and one years in prison, respectively. The status of other women, including Shaparak Shajary, Azam Jangravi, and Shima Babaei, remains unclear. Numerous reports have emerged on social media regarding the verbal and physical violence of patrol officers against women labeled as 'bad hijab,' which has also received public support from police commanders. In this context, Naser Makarim Shirazi criticized those who attempt to 'portray ugliness as beauty and beauty as ugliness.' He stated, 'If the government does not remain indifferent to bad hijab, the problem will be resolved; the government must take the initiative in this matter, but we are witnessing indifference to this issue.' His criticism of Rouhani's government follows the release of a video showing a young girl being beaten by 'patrol officers,' which also drew criticism from the Iranian Vice President for Legal Affairs, Laya Janidi. She described the officer's actions as 'contrary to various principles of the Constitution' and stated that this individual committed 'criminal acts' including 'assault on dignity, insult, and battery.' Janidi emphasized that patrol officers 'are not allowed to simultaneously act as law enforcement and judge.' Prior to her, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli had called for an investigation into the matter. Iranian officials have long implemented a plan called 'patrol officers' to combat what they term the spread of 'bad hijab and various Western styles' in Iran, with one of its tasks being to confront what they describe as 'unconventional' attire. However, according to some government, judicial, and law enforcement officials, this controversial plan has not been very effective. For instance, the Interior Minister acknowledged last year that the 'severity' applied to hijab enforcement in the years following the revolution has been 'ineffective.' Nevertheless, conservative clerics and some religious authorities in Qom have consistently criticized the state of hijab in Iran, and the Supreme Leader has referred to protesters against compulsory hijab, known as the girls of Revolution Street, as 'deceived' and described their movement as 'insignificant.'