Iran’s morality police
DRESS standards became mandatory by law in Iran four years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Gasht-e Ershad, or Islamic guidance patrol, was established 15 years ago for stricter compliance. Officers of the morality police would move around in vehicles to enforce the dress code, which requires women to wear headscarves and loose-fitting clothing. They would issue verbal warnings or detain the violators and take them to ‘re-education’ centres. The prosecutor general’s announcement that the morality police has been suspended comes in the third month of countrywide protests against the enforcement of the hijab law. But there is scepticism among the protesters over the decision reflecting a change of heart or a policy switch. For them, it’s a temporary overture aimed at peeling away broader support for the demonstrations. They have called a three-day economic strike to step up pressure.
‘Woman, life, freedom’ has become a rallying cry in and outside Iran after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini in September. She was arrested in Tehran for non-compliance with the dress code. Hundreds have reportedly been killed or injured in the clampdown on some of the biggest anti-government protests since 1979. Women have been filmed taking off their headscarves and burning them. Even conservative women and men have showed solidarity. The relentless defiance has led to the regime hinting at a flexibility in implementing the law. The prying cops could make way for less confrontational but equally controversial methods like the use of artificial intelligence and cameras to fine offenders. Any easing of the dress code is unlikely, not when the clerical rulers strongly defend the mandatory hijab and term the protests a foreign-influenced hybrid war.
The spontaneous anger on the streets is being attributed to the harsh restrictions, patriarchal domination and ruthless snuffing out of protests. Adding to the unrest is the economic discontent, with decades of sanctions, the pandemic lockdown, joblessness and rising inflation. It’s too early to call it a victory for Iran’s women.
