Reactions to the 'Hijab and Chastity' Bill: From 'Protest Resignation' to Launching a Virtual Campaign

A conservative media activist claimed that Mohammad Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani, the Secretary of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters, is 'in the process of a protest resignation' in response to the content of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill prepared by the judiciary. Abdolmajid Kharaqani criticized the bill in a tweet, stating that 'many revolutionary experts are concerned.' The publication of the text of the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill in the media faced severe reactions from conservatives, who criticized the 'lack of severity' in enforcement, while the public and experts deemed the bill contradictory to individual freedoms. Meanwhile, as criticisms intensified, the government spokesperson announced that the text circulating on social media is 'not the final text.' Ali Bahadori, the government spokesperson, stated: 'The text published in social media is incorrect and does not represent the final version of the judiciary's bill, which the government has approved with changes.' The Fars News Agency, affiliated with security institutions, also launched a poll titled 'The Hijab and Chastity Bill is Designed for the Unveiled' and called on the public to join a campaign against this bill. Critical tweets from conservatives against the 'Hijab and Chastity' bill included one from Mehdi Salhashour, a eulogist close to Ali Khamenei, who tweeted: 'It should be called the bill supporting the unveiled.' He emphasized: 'How can you tie the police's hands so that if someone walks naked in the street, you can only take a picture of them and text them to fine them one million rials?' The website Rajanews, another media outlet close to security institutions, criticized the bill in an article titled 'The Silver Platter for Promoters of Virtue,' stating that 'this bill has many flaws.' The article emphasized that with the approval of this bill, 'the police will act as street photographers.' The political office of the National Unity Party of Iran, a reformist party, also reacted to the provisions of this bill, stating that such decisions are in clear contradiction with citizens' fundamental rights and called for the abandonment of such approaches. Meanwhile, the newspaper Jomhouri Eslami had a different reaction, writing that 'justice, welfare, and people's rights should be reformed, and unveiling will be resolved.' The ILNA news agency also sought legal perspectives on this issue and lawyer Mehdi Hajati rejected the bill, stating that 'hijab and chastity are two different concepts' that have been conflated in the judiciary's bill. According to this lawyer, 'norms should be examined from the perspective of the general public.' The Hamshahri newspaper, affiliated with the Tehran municipality, also joined the opponents of this bill, criticizing it and stating: 'There is no trace of decisiveness in the hijab bill, which conveys to the audience that there is no iron will to tackle the hijab issue.' The criticism from media supporting mandatory hijab against the 'Hijab Bill' suggests that it diminishes the power of 'officer enforcement.' The unveiling of the judiciary's 'Chastity and Hijab' bill includes increased penalties for famous individuals opposing mandatory hijab. The judiciary's bill for 'Hijab and Chastity' has been sent to the parliament after being approved by the government. The insistence of Islamic Republic officials on enforcing mandatory hijab continues amid the civil resistance of Iranian women.