During a period marked by a heavy presence of Iran regime’s security and repressive forces on the streets, alongside an escalation in the suppression of women, members of the regime’s parliament are endeavoring to pass the so-called ‘hijab and chastity’ bill, aiming to ‘legitimize’ restrictions on women.
Mojtaba Zonnour, the vice-chairman of the regime’s parliament, asserted on April 17 that under the hijab law, individuals wearing an incomplete hijab will not face punishment; rather, their behavior will be subject to ‘reprimand, guidance, and correction’.
Simultaneously, he specified: ‘The severity of consequences applies to those deliberately flouting societal norms, including certain celebrities and individuals purposefully challenging the people’s norms, principles, values, and beliefs.’
This statement comes amidst recent imagery depicting regime agents engaging in brutal violence against women, apprehending them and transporting them to police vans and detention facilities.
The proliferation of images depicting the violent apprehension of teenage girls and women since Saturday, April 13, accompanied by reports of physical assaults and, in some instances, sexual abuse, illustrates the concerted efforts of the regime’s military, security, and judicial bodies to quash resistance against its inhumane norms among the nation’s women.
For the regime, its regressive and coercive hijab legislation has assumed paramount importance, such that neither the specter of conflict nor rampant inflation and poverty pose any hindrance to its pursuit of this agenda.
Presently, the primary conflict rages between the regime and the populace, particularly the women and girls of the nation, to the extent that some individuals on social media speculate that the risk of death from regime forces’ brutality and suppression exceeds that from Israeli military incursions.
Reports indicate that arrests have extended to children and teenage girls in certain cities, with two girls aged 12 and 14 detained for several hours in Karaj and Fuman for protesting mandatory hijab laws.
In Fuman, police officers from the guidance patrol detained a 14-year-old girl, resorting to aerial gunfire to disperse protesting onlookers. Meanwhile, in Azimieh of Karaj, guidance patrol agents apprehended a 12-year-old girl, denying her mother access to the police van and escorting her alone to a detention center.
Several videos capturing the sizable presence of white vans outside Tehran metro stations and the violent arrests of women opposing mandatory hijab have surfaced on social media.
Numerous men and women who previously shared accounts of harassment and arrests of acquaintances on social platforms have deleted their posts on X and Instagram, citing threats of arrest following contact with security agencies.
Concurrently, journalists residing in Iran have reported heightened closures of recreational venues, coffee shops, and restaurants due to the patronage of women opposing mandatory hijab. Arash Hashemi, a reporter in Mashhad, disclosed that within the last 48 hours, 12 such establishments were shuttered under the guise of upholding mandatory hijab laws.
Despite these measures, a notable surge in women opposing and resisting the regime underscores its failure to suppress women’s personal freedoms.
Conversely, the dissemination of accounts and images depicting violent arrests of women and girls on social media casts doubt on regime authorities’ claims that verbal warnings suffice for those opposing mandatory hijab laws.
It’s worth noting that these oppressive measures emerged subsequent to the regime’s recognition during the latest nationwide protests that women and girls have emerged as vanguards of resistance, posing a significant threat to its stability.
