Masoud Pezeshkian promised during the presidential campaign to dismantle the notorious Morality Police and change the approach toward opponents of the mandatory hijab.
Yet, within his first hundred days in office, his promise was ignored, and, according to citizens, conditions have only worsened, making public spaces feel like battlegrounds for women facing off with security forces.
Guardian Council spokesperson Tahan Nazif announced last month that, after several weeks of delay, the so-called “Chastity and Hijab” bill had been approved and sent to Parliament.
When journalists asked about the delay, Nazif responded, “Some MPs already shared updates on this, so it wasn’t necessary for us to announce it.”
It seems the Guardian Council did not feel an official announcement was needed for a bill that critics label as “misogynistic.”
When questioned about the bill’s enforceability, the spokesperson sidestepped the issue, saying, “Our role is only to check for conflicts with Sharia or the Constitution.”
The approval comes after the Cultural Commission’s spokesperson, Ahmad Rastineh, and Parliamentary Judicial and Legal Committee member, Mousa Ghazanfarabadi, reported in October that, after much back-and-forth between Parliament and the Guardian Council, the bill was finalized and passed to Parliament for enforcement.
Women’s Bodies as Tools of Suppression
IranWire understands that under Pezeshkian’s presidency, despite promises to end punitive measures against women and opponents of the mandatory hijab, repression has intensified.
Accounts received by IranWire indicate that crackdowns on women defying hijab rules, their supporters, and businesses that refuse to deny service to women without a headscarf have increased.
Sahar, a resident of Tehran, told IranWire, “No matter the trouble they cause, I won’t put that scarf back on. I understand that some women in certain situations may feel compelled to cover up, but I’m not a student or a government employee.
“Even though I work independently and face challenges, I’m prepared to pay the price - I won’t betray the memory of Mahsa Amini and the others.”
Sahar commutes daily from Karaj to Tehran, where she runs a boutique.
“I used to be in a mall, but my lease wasn’t renewed due to hijab issues, so now I rent a standalone shop. I make less money since the mall was a prime spot. Now, only loyal customers and people who know me come.
“Recently, I was even threatened that my business license wouldn’t be renewed. And don’t get me started on the harassment on the metro - it’s endless.”
Shida, a pseudonym for a young, well-known blogger from southern Ahvaz, told IranWire, “My job takes me to various shopping centers in Ahvaz, where I shoot promotional content for stores.
“It used to be obvious where the undercover morality officers were, mainly along the city’s riverbank and main squares.
“But since the Chastity and Hijab bill was approved, I see dozens of officers outside every shopping center. At the Persian Gulf mall, there were more than fifty officers, male and female, monitoring hijab compliance.”
Pezeshkian’s Government, Campaign Promises, and Rising ‘Gender Apartheid’
Some political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, have condemned the escalating repression of women who oppose the hijab, calling it “gender apartheid” in Iran.
During his campaign, Pezeshkian referred to the police’s “Noor Plan” against hijab opponents as “dark” and emphasized treating women with dignity.
However, in his first press conference as president, when Maryam Shabani, a journalist from the monthly Andisheh Pouya, questioned him about the continued enforcement of Morality Police patrols, he laughed dismissively, asking, “Are they still bothering you? They weren’t supposed to. We’ll look into it.”
Supporters who campaigned for Pezeshkian, hopeful for his promises regarding women’s dignity, expected him to oppose the hijab bill’s enactment.
Yet Pezeshkian’s administration has not only failed to curb morality police activities but has seemingly endorsed similar policies across Iran.
On October 16, just days after the unofficial confirmation of the hijab bill by the Guardian Council, the IRGC in Semnan launched a new plan to counter opponents of the hijab.
IRGC Commander in Semnan, Mansour Shoqani, stated that the project would utilize all “provincial resources to promote chastity and hijab.”
Details remain unclear, but Shoqani added that it would be “people-centred” and aimed at “promoting the culture of chastity and hijab in the province.”
Despite such actions, Pezeshkian’s administration defends his campaign promises.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, in a recent press conference, was asked if there was any chance the hijab bill might be withdrawn.
She responded, “President Pezeshkian’s stance is clear - he’s repeatedly said that cultural issues shouldn’t be forced. We’re pursuing a thorough, expert-driven approach to ensure national interests are upheld.”
Yet, a large segment of Iran’s population awaits an official response from Pezeshkian on the contentious bill.
Abuzar Zaman, a lawyer and son of the late government critic and singer Hossein Zaman, condemned the hijab bill on his X account as “misogynistic, inhumane, and catastrophic,” writing, “The Chastity and Hijab bill has passed the Guardian Council, now awaiting the president’s signature. Will Pezeshkian demonstrate the courage to withhold his signature and take a stand?”
Economic journalist Maryam Shokrani also criticized the bill, comparing it to “slave laws” and saying, “Some have told women that harassment or arrest over hijab isn’t ‘legal.’ Now, with the Guardian Council’s approval, it’s law. What these people don’t understand is the difference between ‘law’ and ‘right’ - after all, slavery was once ‘law.’”
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