Motahari: The Majority of People Will Vote for Hijab in Referendum

Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, called for a referendum on hijab in Iran on Tuesday, January 7, claiming that the result would favor hijab. This member of the Cultural Commission stated in a speech that if the issue of hijab were put to a referendum in Iran, 'the majority of society would vote for it.' He added that he expresses these views 'based on my understanding of society.' Mr. Motahari said, 'Some of the same women who are without hijab or poorly hijab will vote for hijab in the referendum because they know the consequences of being without hijab or poorly hijab. So do not think that if a survey is conducted, everyone will vote for being without hijab.' Motahari made these remarks while the attire of most Iranian women differs from what is officially promoted by the government. Since last year, mandatory hijab in Iran has faced public opposition, with images and videos shared on social media, and security and judicial actions taken against some of these opponents known as 'Girls of Revolution Street.' The Deputy of the Cultural Revolution Council stated that hijab in Iran is rapidly declining. Ali Motahari, who has radical views on hijab, also stated that 'there is no real compulsion regarding hijab in our society at present' and 'there is not much strictness regarding hijab now.' However, he emphasized the necessity of 'no mixing in social activities and minimizing interactions between men and women' in Islamic society. The Deputy Speaker attributed the high divorce rates in affluent areas of Tehran that lean towards the West to 'cultural and not economic' factors, stating that 'the West suffers from a disease of nudity' and 'we must promote an Islamic lifestyle.' Motahari defended polygamy in contrast to 'the thesis of today's world,' which he described as 'take one wife and have several mistresses.' His statements come at a time when surveys from official centers and comments from some officials of the Islamic Republic indicate a growing disinterest in hijab and an increasing opposition to mandatory hijab. Senior traditional clerics of the Islamic Republic, referred to as 'sources of emulation,' including Naser Makarem Shirazi, Nouri Hamadani, and Jafar Subhani, have expressed the most complaints about the spread of 'improper hijab' in Iran. Previously, the Research Center of the Iranian Parliament reported that the number of individuals believing in mandatory hijab among educated individuals, youth, and those with access to media and cultural products and higher incomes is lower. According to these statistics, about 35% of people consider hijab 'valuable,' a figure that has decreased by 50% compared to the early years of the 1979 revolution. 'Iran has a decisive role in world politics.' Ali Motahari stated that while before the revolution, 'no country' counted on us, today 'they cannot make important decisions without Iran.' He claimed without providing examples that Iran currently has a 'decisive role' in world political issues. His statements come as the United States, following its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, has not only reactivated sanctions against the Islamic Republic but has also hindered European cooperation with Iran to sustain the JCPOA. In an interview with the official news agency of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (House of the Nation), he also stated that 'in terms of independence, it can easily be claimed that Iran has the highest political independence, so that Iran makes decisions for itself.' He also acknowledged that in the forty years since the Islamic Revolution, 'the poor and low-income class has increased.'