by Martha Serafini
The Attorney General’s “Promises” on the Hijab and the Vice Police. Investigation case, no information on possible changes in the law. Demonstrations are expected for two days starting tomorrow
More violence and more arrests in Iran. And now Iran’s parliament and Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution are reportedly investigating the issue of the hijab, the Islamic veil compulsory for women, and the existence of the vice squad in an attempt to appease the revolt.
The news was delivered by the Attorney General, the ultra-conservative Mohammad Javad Montazeri. Speaking of compulsory headscarves, he promised results in two weeks. “On Wednesday we had a meeting with the culture commission of the parliament and we will see the results in a week or two,” he explained in a speech in the holy city of Qom south of Tehran, the theological center of Iran’s major Shia seminaries. But Montazeri gave no details, acknowledging how difficult it is to get religious authorities to accept reform.
And that, although it has long been clear that the majority of the country considers the obligation to be obsolete. And it is precisely a poll leaked by the Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, that confirms that only 37% of Iranians agree with the hijab law. The requirement to keep head and hair covered was the trigger for the current wave of protests in Iran; and then also revealed widespread resentment against the ayatollahs. In addition, the president, the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi, has already issued new clothing restrictions. Raisi himself asked the “families of the martyrs” and the “Hawzah” (seminaries on the study of Shia Islamic values) to persuade the law enforcement bodies to act in the fight against disobedience to the use of the veil, but – while he pointed out, during a Conference in Tehran that “the constitution has solid and immutable values and principles,” he said, that “there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible.”
Still speaking in the holy city of Qom, Montazeri – according to what local news agency Isna is relaunching – also explained at a meeting with clergymen how the Iranian authorities are working to overhaul and abolish the vice police implicated in the same murder Mahsa Amini and many other young women.
“The vice squad has nothing to do with the judiciary and it was abolished by its creator,” the prosecutor replied to a participant’s question as to why the vice squad had been stopped.
According to many analysts, this would be an attempt to appease sentiment from all, reformists and conservatives, especially after the United States and European Union imposed a raft of sanctions on Iranian officials and government agencies, including the police, in recent months. Montazeri, on the other hand, rushed to clarify how the judiciary will continue to monitor behavior at the community level, stressing that women’s clothing remains very important, especially in the holy city of Qom.
Beyond words, the iron fist doesn’t seem to soften. According to reform media outlets like IranWire, reported by CNN, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi’s home has been demolished in retaliation for flouting Islamic Republic’s restrictions at the international climbing competitions in Seoul last October by going headless, a protest under eyes of the world, while protests over the death of Mahsa Amini have been going on in Iran for more than five weeks. The released images show the house destroyed by government officials and the medals thrown on the ground. And in a released video, the athlete’s brother Davood can be seen in tears.
A bulletin that continues with the death sentence “for kicking a paramilitary” during a demonstration for Fahimeh Karimi, a young volleyball coach and mother of three who has taken part in anti-regime protests in Pakdasht, Tehran region, in recent days. Famous actress Mitra Hajjar, one of the first Iranian celebrities to come out in support of the demonstrations, was also arrested. According to the BBC, she would then be released on bail. Violence and assaults that do not stop the protests.
The Iranian authorities had to acknowledge the deaths of 200 people for the first time yesterday. A budget that includes the security forces. And that’s obviously lower than the figures reported by various human rights organizations, which say at least 448 protesters have been killed, including 63 minors.
In addition, the Security Council announced that “the security forces will face any new insurgency with full force and without tolerance.” Words that come on the eve of a new mobilization proclaimed from December 5th to 7th.
December 4, 2022 (change December 4, 2022 | 11:59 am)
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