Iran abolishes morality police amid months of massive anti-hijab protests
Iran has abolished its infamous morality police in the face of large anti-hijab protests. The decision was announced during a religious event by the country's Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, news agency ISNA reported. The ruling came after over two months of protests sparked by a Kurdish woman's death in the custody of morality police after she was arrested for allegedly dress code breaching.
Why does this story matter?
The anti-hijab row gained substantial momentum across Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed by the morality police while she was in custody. As a result, women worldwide are opposed to removing their hijab or cutting their hair. This movement is viewed across the world by women as an act of resilience and created a lot of media buzz.
Iran to review decades-old hijab law
The decision came a day after Montazeri stated that both parliament and the judiciary are working on the subject to review the law that requires women to cover their heads. On Saturday President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran's republican and Islamic foundations were constitutionally entrenched "but there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible".
What is morality police?
The 'morality police' was established in Iran in 2006, under the administration of hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Also known as 'Gasht-e-Ershad' or "Guidance Patrol," it was founded to propagate the culture of decency and hijab. Essentially, morality police began keeping an eye on women to ensure they are following regulations like as wearing hijab or not, and women were arrested for not wearing hijab.
What do we know about Amini's death?
Amini was arrested by Tehran's Morality Police on September 14—when she was with her brother—over "improper" hijab, local media reported. Her brother—waiting outside the police headquarters—learned hours later that she was rushed to the hospital in a coma. The police had claimed Amini suffered a cardiac seizure in custody and denied claims that she was beaten. She later died on September 16.
Country wide tensions escalate after death
Since Amini's killing, there have been massive protests across Iran. The demonstration turned violent, with government troops deploying tear gas and shooting to subdue crowds, resulting in many deaths. Some protesting ladies were also observed cutting their hair and torching their hijabs as a gesture of rebellion against "Iran's harsh rules that mandate women to wear hijab."
What is Iran's Hijab law?
The hijab became mandatory four years after the 1979 revolution that overthrew the US-backed monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hijab has been a big issue in the country since it was made mandatory. While conservatives say it should be mandatory, reformists have been in favor of leaving it to the individual choice of women.
14,000 people arrested in hijab row crackdown: UN
Iran Human Rights, a non-governmental organization based out of Oslo, announced on Tuesday that over 448 individuals were "killed by security forces in the ongoing nationwide protests. "Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) rights chief Volker Turk stated last week that 14,000 people, including kids, were arrested in the hijab-row crackdown. The rampant arrests across the country have snared journalists, celebrities, and sportspeople.
