Iran suspends morality police, revises hijab law

Nearly three months after the protests began that shook Iran with the death of young Kurdish Mahsa Amini in September, local authorities announced the suspension of the morality police activities and the review of the law that enforces women. wearing a headscarf.

Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said on Saturday night that “the morality police has nothing to do with the judiciary” and has been suppressed, ISNA news agency reported on Sunday.

Besides, Montazeri said The Legislature and the Judiciary – powers controlled by conservative forces – are working on a 1983 reform of the law mandating the use of headscarves.

A review committee met with Parliament’s Cultural Committee last Wednesday to discuss reform. “We will see the result in a week or two,” the prosecutor said.

The ultra-conservative Iranian president at a conference in Tehran on Saturday Ibrahim raisinsreported that the country’s Constitution “has solid and unchangeable values ​​and principles” but “changeable” methods of implementation.

What is the moral police? -also Gast-i Ershad [patrulhas de orientação] The Muslim women’s headscarf was created under the ultra-conservative regime of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) to “spread the culture of decency and the headscarf.”

Its units consist of men in green uniforms and women in black chadors that cover the entire body except the face. The first patrols began their work in 2006.

already In 1983, veiling became mandatory in Iran.Four years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The law states that both Iranian and foreign women, regardless of religion, must wear a veil that covers their hair and wear loose clothing in public.

In September, Iran’s main reformist party called for the law to be overturned.

The Islamic People’s Union Party, which consists of people close to Iran’s reformist former president Mohammad Khatami, demanded that the authorities prepare “legal elements that will pave the way for the repeal of the mandatory headscarf law”.

Over the years, the role of the moral police has also been questioned and changed, but the scope for it to become increasingly restrictive remains.

Moderate under President Hassan rohaniIt was common to see women in power from 2013 to 2021 in tight jeans and colorful veils.

But His successor, Raisi, In July he urged “all government agencies” to strengthen enforcement of the headscarf law.

At that time, he said, “The enemies of Iran and Islam want to undermine the cultural and religious values ​​of the society by spreading strife.”

The death of a 22-year-old Kurdish girl sparked protests. Mahsa Amini was arrested by the morality police on September 16 and had no opportunity to come out of custody alive.

authorities, death mini It was due to health problems, but according to the family, he was beaten to death.

Since then, women have led protests where they chanted anti-government slogans and took off their veils and burned them.

Brutal repressions also sparked protests. According to the latest balance sheet announced by the Iranian general admiral HajizadeMore than 300 people from the Revolutionary Guards have been killed in demonstrations since September 16.

However, according to NGOs, this number will more than double.

*With information from Deutsche Welle and AFP