Mandatory Hijab | Athletics Federation President Resigns; Attorney General Issues Warnings to Pilots

Iranian officials continue to threaten opponents of mandatory hijab, and in the latest development, the Attorney General has stated that action must be taken against women who do not comply with hijab regulations on airplanes. Simultaneously, one day after several women participated in a race in Shiraz without mandatory hijab, the President of the Athletics Federation resigned 'due to the controversies that arose.' The mandatory hijab on airplanes was emphasized by Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General, in a letter to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, asserting that pilots are judicial agents responsible for pursuing, detaining, and conducting preliminary investigations. The Attorney General wrote: 'Given that the issue of unveiling in public has unfortunately become prevalent among a small number of women for some time, and according to reliable information, enemies and opponents of the sacred Islamic Republic are attempting to promote this and disrespect the Quranic decree of hijab through organized efforts.' The resignation followed women's opposition to mandatory hijab. The Ministry of Sports and Youth of the Islamic Republic approved the resignation of Hashem Siyami, the President of the Athletics Federation, on Sunday. According to IRNA, Siyami's resignation was 'due to the controversies arising from the endurance race in Fars province and violations during the competitions,' despite the upcoming Asian Games. Previously, Mostafa Bahraini, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Fars province, had announced the 'formation of a case' and the 'summoning' of the officials organizing the athletics competitions in the city. According to the state news agency ISNA, this judicial action followed the 'publication of images' from the so-called 'Shiraz Marathon' and 'the presence of unveiled women in this race' during the 'Shiraz Day' celebrations. The annual 'Marathon' competition in Shiraz was held on the 5th of Ordibehesht (April 15) along the streets of the city, covering a distance of '21 kilometers and 100 meters' with the participation of at least '450 runners' from across the country. After this round of the competition, some government-supporting users on social media shared images of women without mandatory hijab during the event, demanding that judicial and security institutions take action against the organizers. Lotfollah Shibani, the governor of Shiraz, on the 5th of Ordibehesht, in response to initial protests, told the state news agency IRNA that the marathon competitions for women and men were 'held completely separately,' and 'a small number of women' who 'were not part of the race' and had not even 'registered' attempted to enter among the male runners, which 'law enforcement officers' prevented at that moment. Civil resistance of women in Iran has continued since the widespread protests last year following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, which peaked in various cities. In response to this crackdown, hundreds were killed, tens of thousands were arrested, and at least four were executed. In recent months, to counter the wave of civil protests against mandatory hijab, some state or public institutions affiliated with the regime have reduced their services to opponents of mandatory hijab. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on the 5th of Farvardin (March 25) this year, called the refusal to wear mandatory hijab 'religiously and politically forbidden' and also 'political planning.' Despite the government's increasing crackdown on opponents of mandatory hijab, including arrests on the streets and the closure of venues, reports and images continue to show citizens' ongoing opposition to mandatory hijab in various forms.