Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has announced a significant shift in the country’s approach to enforcing the mandatory hijab headscarf.
This declaration comes on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s tragic death in police custody, which sparked widespread protests across Iran.
The United Nations recently warned that Iran’s government had intensified efforts to suppress women’s rights and quash activism.
Pezeshkian, who took office after his predecessor’s death in a helicopter crash, is seen as a potentially reformist leader.
He stated that morality police will no longer “bother” women over their attire, marking a potential turning point in the nation’s strict dress code policies.
Pezeshkian said this in response to a female reporter who shared her own experiences avoiding police vans en route to the press conference.
She wore her headscarf loosely, with some hair visible, highlighting the ongoing tension surrounding the hijab laws.
When asked if police were still patrolling the streets, she confirmed they were doing so.
In response, he said: “The morality police were not supposed to confront [women]. I will follow up so they don’t bother [them]”.
Pezeshkian made headlines at his first press conference in July after assuming office.
His comments, broadcast live on major state TV networks, quickly went viral online.
During his election campaign, Pezeshkian pledged to oppose police patrols enforcing the mandatory hijab headscarf, a contentious issue in Iran.
He also vowed to ease the country’s long-standing internet controls, potentially bringing more freedom to Iranian citizens.
However, the United Nations has just released a disturbing report on the status of women’s rights in Iran.
According to the report, women are still treated as “second-class citizens”.
The report reads in part, “State authorities have expanded repressive measures and policies to further deprive women and girls of their fundamental rights.
“Security forces have further escalated pre-existing patterns of physical violence, including beating, kicking, and slapping women and girls who are perceived as failing to comply with the mandatory hijab laws and regulations”.
It also said that the government has intensified its crackdown on women’s rights, with authorities increasingly using the death penalty against women activists who support the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.
The UN mission further revealed a concerning development which is the impending approval of the “Hijab and Chastity” bill, which imposes harsh penalties on women who don’t wear the mandatory hijab.
These penalties include: exorbitant financial fines, longer prison sentences, restrictions on work and educational opportunities, and bans on travel.
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