Iran’s National Security Council has blocked the implementation of the highly controversial “Hijab and Chastity Law” that was supposed to take effect last Friday. The sudden pause comes amid growing domestic and international backlash against the law.
President Massoud Pezhekian described the law as “vague and in need of reform” and indicated plans to review its provisions. The law proposes stiffer penalties for women and girls who fail to cover their hair, arms or lower legs, including fines, long prison sentences of up to 15 years and mandatory reporting by businesses.
Human rights organizations including Amnesty International have condemned the law. The group accused Iranian authorities of “trying to entrench an already repressive system”.
During her presidential campaign earlier this year, Pezheskian expressed displeasure with the state’s treatment of women in relation to the hijab. He pledged to respect individual freedoms, a message that resonated with young Iranians, frustrated by years of government restrictions.
Masumeh Abtekar, the former vice president for women and family affairs, also criticized the law, calling it “an indictment of half the Iranian population”.
Then the discussion of hijab became heated Popular singer Parastu Ahmadi has been arrestedlast week Ahmadi did a virtual concert on YouTube without wearing hijab. The broadcast quickly went viral, and his subsequent arrest, along with that of his bandmates, sparked public outrage. Authorities released them a day later after widespread protests.
Tensions around the hijab remained high in 2022 following protests sparked by the death of Mahsa “Zhina” Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody after allegedly violating the dress code. Since then, many young Iranian women have openly defied hijab rules, challenging the government’s authority.
More than 300 Iranian activists, writers and journalists recently signed a statement calling the proposed law “illegal and unenforceable”, urging President Pezhekian to fulfill his election promise. BBC Reported.
Hardliners close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have pushed for the law’s implementation, but the decision to delay its implementation suggests authorities fear a resurgence of the large-scale protests seen two years ago.
The president’s supporters argue that the law is unlikely to prevent disobedience and could increase tensions, as Iran’s younger generations are not afraid to defy the regime’s sanctions.
(Courtesy of the BBC)
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