Iran
Authorities announce a new campaign to force women to wear the Islamic headscarf after policing was scaled back following mass protests last year
Associated Press
Monday 17 July 2023 00:22 BST
Iranian authorities have announced a new campaign to force women to wear the Islamic headscarf as “morality police” sparked nationwide protests ten months after the death of a woman in their custody when she took to the streets again.
After the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September, the morality police had largely retreated as authorities struggled to contain mass protests demanding the overthrow of the theocracy that has ruled Iran for over four decades.
The protests have largely subsided earlier this year after a violent crackdown that left more than 500 protesters dead and nearly 20,000 arrested. But many women continued to flout the official dress code, particularly in the capital Tehran and other cities.
Mapping the unrest in Iran: How the death of Mahsa Amini sparked nationwide protests
After the protests, the “morality police” were rarely seen patrolling the streets, and in December there were even reports – later denied – that they had been disbanded.
Authorities have insisted throughout the crisis that the rules have not changed. Iran’s religious rulers see hijab as a mainstay of the Islamic revolution that brought them to power, and see more casual attire as a sign of Western decadence.
The death of Mahsa Amini in Iran sparked protests around the world. Photo: Portal
On Sunday, Gen. Saeed Montazerolmahdi, a police spokesman, said the “morality police” would again notify and then arrest women who do not wear a hijab in public. In Tehran, men and women from the “moral police” could be seen patrolling the streets in marked vans.
Late on Saturday, police arrested Mohammed Sadeghi, a young and relatively unknown actor, in a raid at his home which he appeared to have circulated on social media. Earlier, in response to another video posted online, he posted a video showing a woman being arrested by the “morality police.” “Believe me, if I see a scene like that, I could commit murder,” he said.
The website of the semi-official daily newspaper Hamshahri, which is affiliated with the Tehran city government, said he was arrested for encouraging people to use guns against the police.
The hijab fight became a powerful rallying cry last year, with women playing a leading role in the protests. The demonstrations quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s spiritual rulers, whom the mostly young demonstrators accuse of corruption, oppression and lack of contact. The Iranian government blamed a foreign conspiracy for the protests without providing any evidence.
Several Iranian celebrities joined the protests, including prominent directors and actors from the country’s famous film industry. Several Iranian actors have been arrested after appearing in public without a headscarf or expressing support for the protests.
In a recent case, actress Azadeh Samadi was banned from social media and ordered by a court to seek psychological treatment for “antisocial personality disorder” after appearing at a funeral wearing a hat two months ago.