Survey by 'Shabakeh Shargh': 84% of People Oppose Mandatory Hijab for Women

Shabakeh Shargh, affiliated with the Shargh newspaper, reported that 84% of people oppose the mandatory hijab for women, based on a survey conducted with the participation of over 12,300 individuals. Following the approval of the bill known as 'Chastity and Hijab' in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Zahra Sadat Lajevardi, a representative from Tehran, stated, 'In three years, with the law we have passed, society will significantly change to adopt hijab.' The Islamic Republic, which has emphasized the enforcement of mandatory hijab since the establishment of its regime, has been trying over the past year to combat the optional dress code chosen by many women and girls following the protests by intensifying enforcement and passing laws. On Tuesday, November 2, Shabakeh Shargh reported that this survey was conducted over a month, and 84.2% of participants believe that the implementation of the 'Chastity and Hijab Law' will not lead to women adopting hijab. The release of this survey comes at a time when the spokesperson for the Guardian Council announced that the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill, which was sent to this council for final review in September, was returned to the Islamic Consultative Assembly after being deemed ambiguous following ten expert sessions. Previously, the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic had also identified two articles of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill as inconsistent with 'the general policies of the system' during its meeting on October 21. This council stated that the ambiguity in defining terms such as 'immodesty, non-hijab, and inappropriate dress' in Section 3 of Article 13 of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill is contrary to the general legislative policies of the system, and 'ambiguity in some expressions and how reports influence officials' decisions' in Article 32 is also seen as contrary to the general policies of the system. The 'Chastity and Hijab' bill, which was prepared in nine articles by the Judiciary and sent to the government and then to the Assembly with 15 articles, was approved by the Assembly through Article 85 of the Constitution with 72 articles after review by the Judicial and Legal Commission. This bill has faced widespread criticism both inside and outside Iran. Reza Shafakhah, head of the Child Rights Committee of the Iranian Bar Association (Skoda), described the hijab bill as a violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents. A group of countries, led by Canada, has issued a joint statement condemning the approval of the 'Chastity and Hijab' bill in the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran.