According to Iran’s attorney general, the controversial morality police has been abolished, but lawyer and human rights activist Sander Terphuis calls them a diversion. “It’s a game, the regime desperately needs the moral police to put down the demonstrations.” For two months, Iranians have been demonstrating against the government and morality police held responsible for the death of a 22-year-old student.
“The moral police has nothing to do with justice” and has been disbanded, Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said during a religious rally, according to Iran’s news agency ISNA. The morality police are held responsible for the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish student who wore her headscarf “incorrectly”. ‘If this news is correct’, says the lawyer Sander Terphuis, ‘then it is a fundamental change of course, because Tehran has been relying on the moral police for years’.
However, Terphuis strongly doubts the attorney general’s claims; “The entire foundation of the regime is based on an extreme form of Islam.” According to the lawyer it is a diversionary maneuver by the regime: ‘They are doing it to lighten international pressure a little, on the other hand they are trying to please the demonstrators a little. This shows how shaky the regime is, it gives protesters more energy to take to the streets en masse.’
Mahsa Amini
Masha Amini, a 22-year-old student, was arrested in September by the morality police for allegedly violating religious dress codes. According to witnesses and relatives, the woman died of violence, the Iranian authorities underline pre-existing health problems. Pro-freedom and anti-regime protests have taken place all over Iran since her death. These demonstrations are viewed by Tehran as riots.
The morality police announcement comes a day after Montazeri announced that the judiciary and parliament are examining the law requiring women to cover their heads. They are evaluating whether changes are needed, the attorney general said. Montazeri did not specify what the outcome might be, but he expects a result in about two weeks.
Anchored foundations
Ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi said on television on Saturday that Iran’s republican and Islamist “foundations” are enshrined in the constitution, but also that ways to implement the constitution “can be flexible.” Women in Iran have been required to wear headscarves since 1983. The rule was introduced four years after the Islamic revolution that ended the US-backed monarchy.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
