Stung by widespread protests, Iran to review decades-old hijab law
While Iran struggles to subdue the ongoing protests across the country on the dress code regulation that obliges females to cover their heads, the government stated it would review its decades-old law. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the attorney general of Iran, stated: "Both parliament and the judiciary are working (on the issue)" on whether there is a need to make any changes to the law.
Why does this story matter?
The nationwide anti-hijab row gained substantial momentum after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed by the moral 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.
'See the results in a week or two'
The Iran attorney general did not reveal what might be changed in the law by the two organizations, both in the hands of conservatives. On Wednesday, the review team met with the cultural commission of parliament "and will see the results in a week or two." On Saturday, President Ebrahim Raisi stated that Iran's Islamic and republican foundations were entrenched constitutionally.
What is Iran's hijab headscarf law?
Raisi added: "But there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible." Iran made the hijab headscarf obligatory in April 1983 for all females, just four years after the Islamic Revolution overthrew the monarchy backed by United States. Hijab is still a compassionate matter in Iran, where reformists want to leave it up to individuals, and conservatives demand it should be compulsory.
'Over 300 died in unrest'
For the first time this week, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general stated that over 300 individuals died in the unrest since the death of Mahsa Amini. Meanwhile, the Supreme National Security Council, the country's top security body, stated on Saturday that the number of individuals who lost their lives during the protests "exceeds 200".
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.
