The hijab move that catches Iran’s eye: Will the ban that has been in place for years be lifted?

Iran has signaled a very remarkable reaction after more than two and a half months of protests.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in the capital Tehran on September 13 for not wearing the headscarf properly, died in custody on September 16, sparking the biggest protests in recent years in the country. While violent protests in which dozens of people, including security forces, lost their lives, continued unabated in many parts of the country, an important statement came from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran’s chief prosecutor, Mohammad Jafari Muntazeri, announced that the moral police force, Irshad, which has been the target of backlash, has been shut down and that the headscarf requirement that has been applied to all women in the country for years is under review. . “Both the parliament and the judiciary are working on the question of whether to change the relevant laws,” Muntazeri said.

Muntazeri noted that the review teams will evaluate the results in a week or two.

Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi also noted that the headscarf ban could be lifted or loosened, saying: “Some methods related to the implementation of the Constitution may be stretched,” in a statement broadcast on television yesterday.

mahsa amini

On the other hand, the opinion that it is difficult to take such a step is dominant in the two institutions under the control of the ultra-conservatives.

THE DISCUSSION ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION IS GROWING

It is noteworthy that for the first time women occupy a prominent place in the demonstrations that have been taking place for weeks in Iran. Many women are defying the government’s mandate to wear hijabs by removing and burning their headscarves.

Wearing the hijab was made mandatory for all women in 1983, four years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. The mandatory headscarf has sparked debates between the conservative and reformist segments, which have long shared power in the country.

The reformist parties called for the relaxation of the ban on the headscarf in September, when the protests broke out, while the conservative President of the Republic called on the people to mobilize to defend the headscarf.

4 PEOPLE EXECUTED

While these discussions were taking place, 4 people accused of “collaborating with Israeli intelligence” were executed in Iran.

They were tried for kidnapping people and disturbing public order with the support of Israel.